sydneysbooknook's reviews
216 reviews

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

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dark informative reflective fast-paced

3.0

The Carnivale of Curiosities by Amiee Gibbs

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

Night of the Witch by Beth Revis, Sara Raasch

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-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

4.25

South by Babak Lakghomi

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adventurous challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The Last Command by Timothy Zahn

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn

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adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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

Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

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dark mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Facilitating Youth-Led Book Clubs As Transformative and Inclusive Spaces by Jody Polleck

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.75

The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Phoenix King has everything a reader should want in a fantasy novel. The worldbuilding was excellent. I was fully immersed in the kingdom of Ravence. It also had a unique magic system tied into religion, allowing for commentary on the relationship between religion and power. The characters were also written excellently. Elena proved to be a competent and well-rounded heroine, and it was interesting to see into Yassen's mind as well. My favorite perspective was from Elena's father, who was trying to do what he thought best both for his nation and his daughter. His motivations were the most interesting in the book. What was lacking for me was the pacing of the story. I felt like a lot of what happened could have been cut out. A more streamlined plot would have made the book a lot better. But overall, I did enjoy reading the Phoenix King, and the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read more!