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siglerbooknook's reviews
174 reviews
The Elite by Kiera Cass
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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? No
4.0
This was a reread for me that I remember really loving as a teenager.
I can definitely see why I liked this so much. It is funny and cute and light-hearted. As an adult some of the plot points for the lead characters a bit trivial, but the book isn't aimed at adults, so that doesn't effect the star rating.
While I enjoy a lot of the banter and adore the side characters immensely, I often found the reasons behind decisions, America's temper, and the miscommunication forced. She makes so many rediculous assumptions and often acts out. But I guess I was just as impulsive at 17.
I still find this story incredibly cute and one I look forward to keeping in my collection and sharing with friends in the future.
I can definitely see why I liked this so much. It is funny and cute and light-hearted. As an adult some of the plot points for the lead characters a bit trivial, but the book isn't aimed at adults, so that doesn't effect the star rating.
While I enjoy a lot of the banter and adore the side characters immensely, I often found the reasons behind decisions, America's temper, and the miscommunication forced. She makes so many rediculous assumptions and often acts out. But I guess I was just as impulsive at 17.
I still find this story incredibly cute and one I look forward to keeping in my collection and sharing with friends in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Grief
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The actual plot of A Court of Silver Flames was absolutely up to par with SJM's other work, however, I was disappointed with how overshadowed the plot was by needless smut scenes. I feel like this series is changing from an epic, full fantasy world and adventure, to an excuse to cram as many smutty scenes as possible into a book and it detracted from the over all story. Not to mention I don't enjoy SJM's style of smut at all. It feels gross more than sexy and I found myself skipping a good 5 or more pages to get past an overly long scene that added nothing to the story. This was the biggest reason for my low rating.
Another reason I feel I didn't enjoy this book as much as earlier ones in the series was how unlike themselves most of the characters acted. It felt like in an attempt to justify some of Nesta's venom, SJM tried to villainize characters we've come to love and make them the worst versions of themselves, or unlike themselves entirely. Rhys, Mor, Elain, and Azriel especially seemed to fall prey to this. I was sad to see Lucien practically written out of the story also along with several other characters I came to love in the other books.
Over all, this book felt like SJM changed her mind on where the story is meant to go and forced the book to go in a way it wasn't meant to. Most of the characters felt incrediblu awkward even though the plot was enjoyable. I would have rathered see all new characters and had our beloved heroes off on a mission instead of this. A point made by how much I lovrd new characters like Emerie and Gwyn.
I DID enjoy the growth in Nesta. I felt like a lot of the story from her pov was rational for the problems she's dealing with and eas relateable, more so than most everything else in the book. I still don't like her, but I don't hate her like I used to.
It will be interesting to see where SJM takes this story next.
Another reason I feel I didn't enjoy this book as much as earlier ones in the series was how unlike themselves most of the characters acted. It felt like in an attempt to justify some of Nesta's venom, SJM tried to villainize characters we've come to love and make them the worst versions of themselves, or unlike themselves entirely. Rhys, Mor, Elain, and Azriel especially seemed to fall prey to this. I was sad to see Lucien practically written out of the story also along with several other characters I came to love in the other books.
Over all, this book felt like SJM changed her mind on where the story is meant to go and forced the book to go in a way it wasn't meant to. Most of the characters felt incrediblu awkward even though the plot was enjoyable. I would have rathered see all new characters and had our beloved heroes off on a mission instead of this. A point made by how much I lovrd new characters like Emerie and Gwyn.
I DID enjoy the growth in Nesta. I felt like a lot of the story from her pov was rational for the problems she's dealing with and eas relateable, more so than most everything else in the book. I still don't like her, but I don't hate her like I used to.
It will be interesting to see where SJM takes this story next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I like the premise of this story and the overall plot, but found the world hard to visualize and the characters hard to connect with.
I felt like the author couldn't decide if Celaena was aloof and above it all or cuddly and cute. Chaol felt like an emo teenager with a bully undertone, and I don't know what to make of Dorian.
I did like Nehemiah's characters and look forward to seeing where her story goes.
The plot was engaging and I loved the setup for the series. There are definitely things that feel like theyll be important later.
I think the biggest thing for me is this book felt like it couldn't decide whether it was a YA or middle school reading level which felt jarring at a lot of the scene changes.
Looking forward to seeing how the next book effects my opinion.
I felt like the author couldn't decide if Celaena was aloof and above it all or cuddly and cute. Chaol felt like an emo teenager with a bully undertone, and I don't know what to make of Dorian.
I did like Nehemiah's characters and look forward to seeing where her story goes.
The plot was engaging and I loved the setup for the series. There are definitely things that feel like theyll be important later.
I think the biggest thing for me is this book felt like it couldn't decide whether it was a YA or middle school reading level which felt jarring at a lot of the scene changes.
Looking forward to seeing how the next book effects my opinion.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.
May try again later. Not in the mood for violent, mean, curse words, and sex right now all of which has shown up in the first dozen pages
Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the plot, the story of this book. However there was so much over-the-top violence it actually detracted from the story for me. So many details were beyond gross for absolutely no reason but shock value. The villains are cruel for cruelty's sake. I don't know if I'm going to finish the trilogy. The ending of this book was pretty satisfying without needing to see what comes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is one of my all time favorite books and a great October read. Agatha Christie deserves her title as the queen of mystery.
There is nothing terribly deep about this story and yet it is a compelling read. Once I pick it up it is very hard to put down. The story is full of moral predicaments and the dangers or prejudice.
I enjoy how well defined the characters are even though we learn very little about them. Each character feels unique from the others.
The ending twist is very satisfying even if it isn't able to be solved in advance.
If you are looking for an engaging classic mystery, this is definitely a top suggestion.
There is nothing terribly deep about this story and yet it is a compelling read. Once I pick it up it is very hard to put down. The story is full of moral predicaments and the dangers or prejudice.
I enjoy how well defined the characters are even though we learn very little about them. Each character feels unique from the others.
The ending twist is very satisfying even if it isn't able to be solved in advance.
If you are looking for an engaging classic mystery, this is definitely a top suggestion.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love the plot of ACOWAR though I do find some of the smut to get overbearing and there are places it definitely messes with the pacing of the story.
I enjoy the character growth for our lead characters in this book and many of the new side characters are very enjoyable to read about.
This book is a good mix of satisfying and disappointing scenarios all the way through.
I enjoy the character growth for our lead characters in this book and many of the new side characters are very enjoyable to read about.
This book is a good mix of satisfying and disappointing scenarios all the way through.
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I can't believe how much I loved this book. When I started the Inheritance Games I expected a quirky mystery with a bunch of teenage angst and a love triangle. Three books later I'm starting to think Jennifer Lynn Barnes made a deal at a crossroad because I still can't name what makes these stories so freakishly good.
Every time I thought I had an angle figured out the story would twist again, but in a very satisfying way. Nothing was dragged out too long and each solution made sense.
The banter was top tier as always.
I especially liked that the "love triangle" didn't become a long drawn out mess like so many novels. The emotions felt real and Avery didn't come across as flighty or cruel.
The end of the book was definitely a curve ball but incredibly satisfying none the less. I definitely recommend these to anyone who likes witty conversations, puzzles, anagrams, and happy endings.
Every time I thought I had an angle figured out the story would twist again, but in a very satisfying way. Nothing was dragged out too long and each solution made sense.
The banter was top tier as always.
I especially liked that the "love triangle" didn't become a long drawn out mess like so many novels. The emotions felt real and Avery didn't come across as flighty or cruel.
The end of the book was definitely a curve ball but incredibly satisfying none the less. I definitely recommend these to anyone who likes witty conversations, puzzles, anagrams, and happy endings.
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This series is the definition of curve ball and somehow it always makes sense. There is no solving these books in advance. You, the reader, are definitely just along for the whirlwind ride, and yet they always keep me feeling engaged.
It takes forever to get to an answer but the pacing is done so well that the book never feels slow.
Once again, Jennifer Lynn Barnes has earned a gold star for dialogue. Every quip had me smiling. Every heartfelt confession tugged at my heart.
I don't know how the characters of Hawthorne House can be so mysterious and so loveable at the same time, but every one of them is thoroughly enjoyable.
Even though the story felt like it would have to leave loose ends, Barnes managed to wrap every mystery in a satisfying bow.
The plot may not be complex and the characters may not be the deepest you'll ever read, but I completely enjoyed every page of The Hawthorne Legacy and can't wait to dive in to book 3.
It takes forever to get to an answer but the pacing is done so well that the book never feels slow.
Once again, Jennifer Lynn Barnes has earned a gold star for dialogue. Every quip had me smiling. Every heartfelt confession tugged at my heart.
I don't know how the characters of Hawthorne House can be so mysterious and so loveable at the same time, but every one of them is thoroughly enjoyable.
Even though the story felt like it would have to leave loose ends, Barnes managed to wrap every mystery in a satisfying bow.
The plot may not be complex and the characters may not be the deepest you'll ever read, but I completely enjoyed every page of The Hawthorne Legacy and can't wait to dive in to book 3.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Stalking, and Pregnancy
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I truly enjoyed this book. The plot was good, not overly complicated, and moved at a nice pace. The characters didn't grow or change much in the story, but are very loveable from the start.
The dialog was top tier. I truly enjoyed the quippy back and forths throughout the story.
The mystery aspect is entertaining, but you the reader are definitely just along for the ride. You aren't given enough pieces to solve it in advance.
The ending is a cliffhanger, so I'm glad I already have book 2. It is a great ending that leaves me wanting to dive into the next book. All the little puzzles are tied up nicely by the final pages and a new one has just begun.
I can't wait to see what the next book brings.
The dialog was top tier. I truly enjoyed the quippy back and forths throughout the story.
The mystery aspect is entertaining, but you the reader are definitely just along for the ride. You aren't given enough pieces to solve it in advance.
The ending is a cliffhanger, so I'm glad I already have book 2. It is a great ending that leaves me wanting to dive into the next book. All the little puzzles are tied up nicely by the final pages and a new one has just begun.
I can't wait to see what the next book brings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism