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miyawakiss's reviews
124 reviews
Little Nightmare by Melissa McSherry, Dana LeeAnn
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Very dark, please check your trigger warnings.
The book started out pretty good, basic Stockholm Syndrome stuff. Then there was some action which was cool. And then we get into the fluff and domesticities with a side of smut. At this point, the book was like 3 stars - points docked for the MMC and FMC's character inconsistencies.
But the rating went completely down the rabbit hole at the ending because wtf was that???It was basically a cheating trope thrown in at the end. It didn't even make sense that the MMC was turned on by this because he would kill if FMC so much as interacted with another man but this is ok??? Hypocritical much??? This is where the meme "I can excuse murder but I draw the line at cheating" VERY MUCH APPLIES. Completely ruined my mood and turned me off the whole book. Wish I didn't bother reading the sequel. Some people might say it's not cheating but it counts.
The book started out pretty good, basic Stockholm Syndrome stuff. Then there was some action which was cool. And then we get into the fluff and domesticities with a side of smut. At this point, the book was like 3 stars - points docked for the MMC and FMC's character inconsistencies.
But the rating went completely down the rabbit hole at the ending because wtf was that???
Carving for Cara by Melissa McSherry, Dana LeeAnn
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Very dark, please check your trigger warnings. I wish I did, just to prepare myself. The MMC is definitely 100% a psycho. Would have given it a higher rating if they had included the bonus chapter in the book itself. I'm not sure why it's a trend now for authors to have a "bonus chapter" that's only available at XYZ but it only turns readers off if we have to hunt for it. Also, a bit weird that both the FMC and MMC named their vehicles. I thought it would be an FMC thing but then the MMC also had a name for his. Is this a normal thing for westerns to name their vehicles because it's not normal at all in Asia. Not a bad thing, just something I found weird.
No Place to Hide by Harper Ashley, Wren Hawthorne
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Definitely dark, please check the trigger warnings. But it surprisingly ended pretty romantically. I did like that even though it was dark, there was still a certain line that the Jackson made sure not to cross.
Circe by Madeline Miller
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
It just wasn't my cup of tea unfortunately.
The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Wasn't sure what I was getting myself into with this book. The use of "She", "I" and "You" was a but confusing. The love and loyalty from the squire was sad and painful to read. My favourite part was definitely the moment she realised that she loves her squire and that he's the only one who has been there for her and cares for her the entire time. The deatg of the Prince/King should have been dragged out, he went too quickly. Although this was not my cup of tea, I can still see that it was well-written; she managed to deliver a very deep and touching story in such a short book.
The Gift by Freida McFadden
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Definitely creepy. Didn't go the way I expected. All of the characters were not likeable at all, which is a relief considering the premise of the story. A quick read to help me get through my morning.
Ushers: A Short Story by Joe Hill
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Zoomed through this book in 20mins. I didn't expect something so short to be this enjoyable. Martin was really a good kid and I'm glad Duvall recognised that.
More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by Molly Roden Winter
1.0
Please. For the love of God. Tell me. WHY DID YOU PUBLISH THIS BOOK? What was the goal?? What was the intention?? What was the objective?? The world could have lived without knowing any of this. Every single person in this memoir is fked up and you can't convince me otherwise because holy shit, were yall dropped as babies?? If anything, this is a guide to EVERYTHING that an open marriage or poly relationship should NEVER be. Would be great as an angsty telenovela because sure, it can be entertaining but definitely an unhinged memoir. I can't believe this is someone's life and these people made all these choices and are raising children! The children are the only victims despite the author's attempt to self-victimize. If you're looking for a memoir that shows growth, self-improvement and self-reflection, this is not for you. If you're looking to steal the diary of a rich white woman who is constantly making horrible relationship decisions surrounded by enablists, this is for you.
Hero by Jolie Vines
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Honestly, this had the potential to be a 4-star read but it fell flat in many aspects that I was hoping could have been built up more to strengthen the plot and romance. It had a very strong start and I was hooked. But the storyline had a nasty habit of building up tension and/or anticipation only to take away the climax. Basically if edging someone was a book, this is it.
There were quite a few unneeded breaks for the couple and there was a weird teen-angst moment with Taylor which tbh why was this included? Ella absolutely hated her and was ready to cut her out but forgives her after a lukewarm conversation and suddenly they're BFFs again. This weird angst friendship didn't add anything to the story or Ella's character. It felt like the author crammed Taylor in as a preview of her character for the next book, you can't convince me otherwise.
The rushed marriage also felt unnecessary or a forced way to speedrun their relationship. The author also has this tendency to cut off a good conversation. Just when our characters are finally communicating... OOPS no, something happened so these characters have to stop talking. Once is fine but this happens a few times. Stop edging us, please! The conversation where Ella tells Gordain that she bought his dream home could have been one of my fav scenes but it was abruptly cut short and we were deprived of his happy reaction.
There were quite a few unneeded breaks for the couple and there was a weird teen-angst moment with Taylor which tbh why was this included? Ella absolutely hated her and was ready to cut her out but forgives her after a lukewarm conversation and suddenly they're BFFs again. This weird angst friendship didn't add anything to the story or Ella's character. It felt like the author crammed Taylor in as a preview of her character for the next book, you can't convince me otherwise.
The rushed marriage also felt unnecessary or a forced way to speedrun their relationship. The author also has this tendency to cut off a good conversation. Just when our characters are finally communicating... OOPS no, something happened so these characters have to stop talking. Once is fine but this happens a few times. Stop edging us, please! The conversation where Ella tells Gordain that she bought his dream home could have been one of my fav scenes but it was abruptly cut short and we were deprived of his happy reaction.
Fourth Wing (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had a very hard time getting through the first few chapters of Fourth Wing on my kindle and nearly DNFed it. But many reviews said the GraphicAudio was amazing so I used my Audible credits and damn, they were right. Once I was on GraphicAudio, I was flying through the book.
The voice of Xaden was incredibly well done and the narrator really delivered Xaden's character on a silver platter. Rhianon is just as I would imagine her to sound like and even though Dain's character is trash, his voice makes me swoon. One voice that irks me is actually Violet's. As a narrator, she's fine but as Violet, she doesn't deliver the lines in line with the tone/mood that was set in some scenes which throws me off here and there. Liam's voice also doesn't match how I would have wanted him to sound like. He's younger than Xaden but his voice is much deeper. His character is boyish and mischievous but his voice belongs to a mafia killer. It's quite a mismatch. Don't get me wrong, I love his voice. It just doesn't seem to suit his character.
Tairn and Andarna's voices were amazingly executed. Tairn's narrator perfectly captured the old, stern and regal way of speaking while still delivering deadpan humour. We didn't get too much scenes with Andarna but she sounds just as she should.
All in all, an amazing audiobook.
The voice of Xaden was incredibly well done and the narrator really delivered Xaden's character on a silver platter. Rhianon is just as I would imagine her to sound like and even though Dain's character is trash, his voice makes me swoon. One voice that irks me is actually Violet's. As a narrator, she's fine but as Violet, she doesn't deliver the lines in line with the tone/mood that was set in some scenes which throws me off here and there. Liam's voice also doesn't match how I would have wanted him to sound like. He's younger than Xaden but his voice is much deeper. His character is boyish and mischievous but his voice belongs to a mafia killer. It's quite a mismatch. Don't get me wrong, I love his voice. It just doesn't seem to suit his character.
Tairn and Andarna's voices were amazingly executed. Tairn's narrator perfectly captured the old, stern and regal way of speaking while still delivering deadpan humour. We didn't get too much scenes with Andarna but she sounds just as she should.
All in all, an amazing audiobook.