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marie_thereadingotter's reviews
1275 reviews
Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 3 by Io Sakisaka
emotional
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
3.75
Ahh... teenagers.
Rio needs to move on though.
Rio needs to move on though.
Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 2 by Io Sakisaka
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
3.75
I hope Rio gets over his crush soon, because it is weird. I am glad that it's not being pushed though, because that's more weird.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I think I was expecting more from this. I kind of wish it was longer. A lot was left unanswered, or glossed over. This did have an ending, but I also wish the ending had been more concrete.
The writing, as to be expected, had this dark whimsy to it that I loved. I think I just wanted to spend more time with the characters.
Edit:
Thinking on this more, I had to lower my rating by quite a lot. It took some time to figure out what was missing from this story for me. Nuance, there is none. Everything is black and white, which isn't the way life is. And not the way Fae are either. The Seelie and Unseelie are both dangerous to humans, but one likes to play "tricks", and the other is more bite-y. The tricks Seelie like to play on humans is turning them into a pig or something, the Unseelie will also turn their unsuspecting victim into a pig, but then trick their family and friends into eating them.
Toadling was a bit too passive for my liking. She had this air about her that was a little too bumbling and "cute" for a story that's marketed as an Adult Fantasy. The romance also didn't work for me, it was cute, but I also didn't care about it. We spend the entire book with Toadling, but I don't feel like I actually know her as a character. And we know even less about Halim, or what he finds so appealing about Toadling. They spend days/hours talking, but I didn't feel like I got to know either of them any better or what they like about each other.
This book didn't feel like a book for adults, aside from some minor gore/violence, this book could be read by people 12 and up. There aren't any heavy themes that kids couldn't grasp.
The writing, as to be expected, had this dark whimsy to it that I loved. I think I just wanted to spend more time with the characters.
Edit:
Thinking on this more, I had to lower my rating by quite a lot. It took some time to figure out what was missing from this story for me. Nuance, there is none. Everything is black and white, which isn't the way life is. And not the way Fae are either. The Seelie and Unseelie are both dangerous to humans, but one likes to play "tricks", and the other is more bite-y. The tricks Seelie like to play on humans is turning them into a pig or something, the Unseelie will also turn their unsuspecting victim into a pig, but then trick their family and friends into eating them.
Toadling was a bit too passive for my liking. She had this air about her that was a little too bumbling and "cute" for a story that's marketed as an Adult Fantasy. The romance also didn't work for me, it was cute, but I also didn't care about it. We spend the entire book with Toadling, but I don't feel like I actually know her as a character. And we know even less about Halim, or what he finds so appealing about Toadling. They spend days/hours talking, but I didn't feel like I got to know either of them any better or what they like about each other.
This book didn't feel like a book for adults, aside from some minor gore/violence, this book could be read by people 12 and up. There aren't any heavy themes that kids couldn't grasp.
Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 1 by Io Sakisaka
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? It's complicated
4.0
While I am not the age demographic for this, what I've realized is that of all the shoujo writers, this one has written some of the most 'realistic' teen experience.
I've read her other series, Ao Haru Ride, and that one also had some very realistic characters.
I am curious about where this story is headed. There was a surprising semi-reveal at the end of this volume, and I am interested in where it's headed.
I also really love her art style. It feels unique. facial features are slightly exaggerated, but the way she draws the kids, they look like children. Not mini-adults the way a lot of mangaka do.
I've read her other series, Ao Haru Ride, and that one also had some very realistic characters.
I am curious about where this story is headed. There was a surprising semi-reveal at the end of this volume, and I am interested in where it's headed.
I also really love her art style. It feels unique. facial features are slightly exaggerated, but the way she draws the kids, they look like children. Not mini-adults the way a lot of mangaka do.
InuYasha, Vol. 15 by Rumiko Takahashi
adventurous
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? No
4.75
There's still three of these Omnibus volumes, which is 9 regular volumes left, and I am really excited to read the rest of them. I can already tell that things are going to play out slightly different than how they did in the anime, and I can't wait to read them. I should also re-watch the Final Act as well just to refresh my memory of how all this played out.
The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 12 by Itsuki Nanao, Natsu Hyuuga
adventurous
funny
medium-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? No
5.0
Inuyasha, Volume 14 by Rumiko Takahashi
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is more so where The Final Act of the anime picks things up, and what became very evident is that this is when the people who made the anime started to speed run the ending. There was a lot that I don't remember happening in the anime, and a lot of things that were shuffled.
I really liked this volume. I liked the character arcs, and their growth. Seeing how much was moved and removed it's making me excited for how things will play out in the manga.
I really liked this volume. I liked the character arcs, and their growth. Seeing how much was moved and removed it's making me excited for how things will play out in the manga.
InuYasha, Vol. 13 by Rumiko Takahashi
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This arc, was kind of boring. The only notable part was Kagura. I wish more had been done with her character before her end. She is one of the most dynamic characters in the whole anime, and I've always hated the end of her role in the story. I wish she had been able to deal more of a blow before she dies .
Everything else was just kind of 'meh'. I never liked how Sango and Kohaku's character interact when he starts to get his memories back. She's so quick to be angry with him when she assumes he's still under Naraku's control. But if he was being controlled, he can't help what he's doing. She comes across as self-righteous, and it annoys me.
I like Kikyo more in the manga, I understand her character more. But I still think that she should've been removed from the series earlier than she does. Her being there makes Kagome having spiritual power moot, she's "supposedly" really powerful, but never gets to use them because Kikyo is there being 'better' or whatever.
Everything else was just kind of 'meh'. I never liked how Sango and Kohaku's character interact when he starts to get his memories back. She's so quick to be angry with him when she assumes he's still under Naraku's control. But if he was being controlled, he can't help what he's doing. She comes across as self-righteous, and it annoys me.
I like Kikyo more in the manga, I understand her character more. But I still think that she should've been removed from the series earlier than she does. Her being there makes Kagome having spiritual power moot, she's "supposedly" really powerful, but never gets to use them because Kikyo is there being 'better' or whatever.
Something's Wrong With Us, Volume 19 by Natsumi AndÅ
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The final, finally, volume of this manga was... fine. I still feel that vol. 16 is a good place to end things. The last three volumes felt like the story was being dragged out a little too much. Another evil mother character was introduced in this final arc that I don't think needed to be there.
I am glad I read this series and the rest of the volumes are overall fantastic.
I am glad I read this series and the rest of the volumes are overall fantastic.
Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day by Kaitlin B. Curtice
informative
slow-paced
3.0
I didn't know this book was going to have as much focus on god/religion as it did. I've been in the process of deconstructing from my Evangelical upbringing, and with how much focus this book had on that area it kept me from really loving this book. There is still a lot of good insight, but the religious stuff just didn't work for me.