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zarap's reviews
524 reviews
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and War
A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Perhaps this would be 4 stars for me if read immediately after the others in the series, but the plot is especially convoluted and I found it difficult to follow what was happening while listening to the audiobook over the course of a week. Still enjoyed it though, and I'll be excited to read the next one when it comes out (and maybe reread the others first).
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
SO VERY FUN. Highly recommend to anyone who loves Shaw in Person of Interest. I figured out fairly early that Sky was from a parallel world and not just the past , but it didn't mean I enjoyed the ending any less.
The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
This was very, very up my alley, and I'm so glad I ordered a copy immediately after watching Dead Good Book Reviews' review. Her comparison to the Doctor Who episode "Midnight" is apt, and I will never not be interested in an unsettling story set on a train. Fear of the unknown, human nature, and anticapitalism come together in a most excellent and weird bundle that verges on horror (with fungus and a bit of body horror, my faves). The 0.25 deduction is because I would've liked to see more character development. I think the level of depth we get works for the story, but it would've been even better with more imo. Very excited to see what Brooks writes next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
SO FUCKING GOOD. I loved the mystery and the worldbuilding and the characters and the in-world politics and the neurodivergent representation and the ending and just EVERYTHING OKAY.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Death in the Spires by KJ Charles
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
Fun satire with sentient cats? Sign me up. I really enjoyed the book's absurdist sense of humor and all the pokes at capitalism.
The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Definitely a thought-provoking read, particularly in the context of other conversations I'm having right now around mutual aid... Connection being the way to break free is on point. I don't know if it would've felt different if I didn't know the themes of the book going in, but the parallels to real-life oppression and the ivory tower felt very obvious. But I appreciate the nuance of a couple of the adult characters, who are well-intentioned but imperfect. It's good to read a book critical of academia that has a little more of the nuance I was missing in Babel, though I could've used more still... I just read another storygraph review that said it reads like a parable and the reviewer was yearning for something a little more grounded. I don't know if I would've thought of that phrasing, but I think it's how I feel as well. Nonetheless, I have a feeling it will keep floating around my brain for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery