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spinstah's reviews
1389 reviews
Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
I would have liked a little more resolution in the ending, but overall this was entertaining. The podcast hosts were caricatures but I think it’d be hard to do more character development without having those sections take up more time than necessary
Terrace Story by Hilary Leichter
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This was an interesting story about someone who can make extra space. The structure contributes a lot, helping to expand certain portions and POVs in a natural way.
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
3.5
This was ok. I figured out what was going on by about halfway through.
The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m still enjoying this series and the characters. In this one we briefly get a POV of someone new which was very interesting.
A Better World by Sarah Langan
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The tension in this builds nicely. After a certain point it becomes clear it’s building to something terrible, but the characters are in denial because how could what they think is going to happen actually be right? The near future dystopia this is set it feels very plausible which was perhaps the creepiest thing of all.
Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
This was a delight on audio. There’s a lot of darkness mixed in - two of the main characters have some significant past emotional trauma - but o real it’s still a hopeful story.
Deep Singh Blue by Ranbir Singh Sidhu
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
This is well-crafted but Im struggling to figure out whether I liked it. The characters are not particularly likable and there’s a lot of self-absorption and denial all around, but it’s also told from the POV of a traumatized teenager so I’m not sure it could have been anything else.
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
This was a cute sci fi mystery. The language is oddly formal and gives it an old-timey feel even though it’s set in the unspecified far future on a colonized gas giant. That didn’t work particularly well for me but it didn’t detract too much.
Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
I have no idea what just happened or how it’s supposed to tie into the rest of the story. This requires a full series re-read, which I did not do, to understand the connections. There’s a chunk in the middle with a strong narrative that you can easily follow, but the start and end? Who knows. I almost DNF’d this several times and was skimming by the end.
Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
This was a lot of fun! If you’re a Jane Austen fan, or a fan of semi-anachronistic Regency stories, you’ll like this.