spinstah's reviews
1414 reviews

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías

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4.0

This is extremely atmospheric and dreamlike, in part because the POV character is dissociating from what's happening around her. 
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
The horror was getting a little too horrific for me. 
Knife River by Justine Champine

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dark emotional slow-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

4.0

This tips more towards literary fiction than mystery/thriller; really I’d say there’s only one scene that has the kind of tension I expect from a thriller. I enjoyed this, it mostly focuses around the lives of two sisters and how they begin to finally process the trauma of their mother’s disappearance when they were teenagers. 
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

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adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I liked the structure of this - a linear story interspersed with flashback chapters that provide more character development for everyone - but it made the whole thing too long. 
Back After This by Linda Holmes

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a delight! The characters were great and I liked how the story flowed. 
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

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dark mysterious fast-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? Yes

4.0

The structure of this worked well, and I liked how the structure itself contributes many of the reveals. However that does mean they are, in a way, spoiled for the reader, though it worked well for me. 
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

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challenging mysterious medium-paced

3.25

I don't think this world is for me. There's a lot of political intrigue in this book, and I generally don't care for that and have trouble following it. I did like the two main characters, and there's a portion of the storyline with the two of them that was really enjoyable for me. But I ended up with a very basic understanding of what happened in the plot, and to me that wasn't really worth the time spent with it.
Colored Television by Danzy Senna

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

I found the POV character’s head a hard place to be. But the tension that piles up (mostly driven by a
series of secrets and poor choices
) is done well. I do think the ending was maybe a tad too fast, but at the same time it felt pretty real. 
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

This was so, so good. It’s well-balanced in many ways: there are a lot of themes and threads, which are beautifully woven together, and there’s a story-within-a-story that is perfectly balanced and reflects the main story just enough. This was compelling from the jump, and the characters are well-rounded and felt very believable. Highly recommend this one! 
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

What an absolute delight! This cozy fantasy has a lovely world with some great characters. There are a couple of moments of conflict but (since it's cozy) you know nothing too bad will happen. The romance is nice, and I appreciated the character development we see for the main character.