sydneysbooknook's reviews
216 reviews

No One Leaves The Castle by Christopher Healy

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-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

3.5

 No One Reads the Castle is quite an adventure! I found it to be a highly engaging middle grade novel that would make a great addition to a classroom library. It was fun, funny, and full of life. Our protagonist, the Lilac embodies a strong and confident heroine, not only capable, but willing to learn and grow from her mistakes. Her goal is to become the best bounty hunter in the world, and by taking on a case at Baron Angbar’s castle, she gets one step closer to her goal. Of course, nothing goes as expected, and the twists and turns keep readers on the edge! No One Leaves the Castle takes many classic fantasy tropes and cliches and formats them into something fresh and new, perfect for a middle grade reader.
Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.75

Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense 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

5.0

A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A Council of Dolls is one of the most important books that I have ever read. In telling the stories of three generations of Dakota girls and their dolls, Mona Susan Power showcases the utter brutality that was inflicted on the Dakota people and the horrors that indigenous children faced in Indian boarding schools. This is a part of history that people have tried to erase and hide, but with stories like Powers' , which shed light on the truth, it can't be. Sissy's, Lillian's, and Cora's stories highlight different eras of oppression, spanning from the 1890s to the 1970s. But the story doesn't end there. It ends in the present, where power is given back to those Dakota women, and through them, all Dakota people. Mona Susan Powers creates a story not only about oppression, but about strength, and hope, courage, and reclaiming your power. This is a book I recommend that everyone should read.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Family Lore was a beautiful character study, showing the complicated relationships between the Marte sisters (and two of their children). I love how Acevedo wound the past and present together almost seamlessly. The novel takes course over three days in the present, but weaves its way decades back as it recounts the Marte sisters' lives growing up in the Dominican Republic and their futures thereafter. You can tell that Acevedo is a poet because her prose blooms and flowers across the page, creating a web of complicated relationships among the Marte family. Overall, Acevedo manages to elicit nostalgia, sisterhood, and the bonds of family. Family Lore is an incredibly special book that everyone should read.
Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense fast-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

4.25

Lost Believers: A Novel by Irina Zhorov

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective relaxing sad slow-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

4.75

Lost Believers is such an amazing story. I did not know that geology and the 1970s Soviet mining industry could be so interesting! The stories of Agafia and Galina highlight the importance and purity of nature, while shining a light on the industries that do great harm to it. Agafia is an innocent soul who cares greatly for the taiga in Siberia where she lives, accompanied by only her close family and the land around her. Galina comes into her life, intent on finding iron and mining the land, but Agafia shows her just how beautiful nature is and can be. Their story of friendship, as well as Galina's and Snow Crane's relationship were wonderful to read. I only wish that Agafia's point of view was shown more!
Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

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adventurous dark emotional funny 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

5.0

 I was thoroughly blown away by The Jasad Heir. I have not read a book quite like it in some time, and it may even rival some of my favorite books. My favorite trope to ever exist is enemies to lovers, but many books don’t do it quite right. Hashem, though, creates a real, true, enemies to lovers relationship between Sylvia and Arin. And what’s even better? It’s a slowburn. Besides the great romance, the actual plot of the story is intriguing and well-written, and the characters all have plenty of layers that make them realistic and relatable. Thick with magic, a beautifully crafted world, and a plot with amazing twists and turns that leave you on the edge of your seat, The Jasad Heir may just become your new favorite book, if I have anything to say about it!