(If you happened to read a prior version of this review, you read my accidental copy and paste of my review for the Percy Jackson graphic novels.) I pi(If you happened to read a prior version of this review, you read my accidental copy and paste of my review for the Percy Jackson graphic novels.) I picked up this book because I had seen it on the 카지노싸이트 Choice awards list for graphic novels and comics (so named even though they never have comics on the nominee list) and found myself intrigued by the concept. Rebecca Hall and illustrator Hugo Martinez join forces to create a powerful graphic memoir that explores the historiography of slavery, focusing on the far too often forgotten women. In the memoir portion of the novel, Hall describes her often-times frustrating search through the records to find information, any information, about the women who participated in different slave revolts throughout American history. As someone who had to delve into the murky waters of archives for my Masters' thesis, I resonated strongly with this section and loved the fact that she showed the frustrations of trying to tell these stories. Hugo Martinez' illustrations made this book a must-read. He uses reflections, in water, mirrors, windows and much more, to reveal so much. Words alone cannot describe how powerful his imagery is. I highly recommend this book....more
I knew that I would love this book even before I picked it up having read "Other Words for Home" by the same author and giving that one five stars. ThI knew that I would love this book even before I picked it up having read "Other Words for Home" by the same author and giving that one five stars. This book surpassed even those expectations. Warga wove a complicated yet simple story of heartbreak between two best friends, Cora and Quinn, who have to live with the terrible actions of Quinn's brother, Parker who chose to fulfill dark fantasies which included a school shooting that took the life of Cora's sister, Mabel, and then his own. Both girls and their entire families grieve for the loss, for the brokenness that has multiplied from this action. The girls start fixating on finding a wormhole that will enable them to travel back in time and prevent the whole terrible thing from happening. Their raw grief as they dealt with this left me nearly heartbroken. Yet, Warga ends the book with hope. She does not wrap everything up in a pretty bow, wiping away every hurt from these girls and those around them. Yet, she shows how they work through this trauma and opens the door for Quinn to begin healing through therapy. Please read this....more
This book blew me away, far more than the first book in the series did. I think that the fact that I was able to keep my undivided attention on the boThis book blew me away, far more than the first book in the series did. I think that the fact that I was able to keep my undivided attention on the book (4ish hours straight this afternoon) helped significantly in my enjoyment of the book. Cassandra Clare, freed from having to set up the world as she did in the first book, used the first hundred or pages of this book to really delve into character development, something that held direct ties to the events of the first book. Additionally, I loved how the conflict of this book felt intrinsic to the characters themselves and to the choices that they made, like Lucie. Rather than an epic battle fighting fairly meaningless demons, Clare raised the stakes for all of the characters in this book. I loved it.
If I had to nitpick at all though, I would say that I feel like Christopher has gotten the short end of the stick as far as characterization of the members of the Merry Thieves. More Kit please!...more
Wow. Rick Riordan surpassed anything I've ever read from him before. I have always enjoyed his previous books like the Percy Jackson series. Going intWow. Rick Riordan surpassed anything I've ever read from him before. I have always enjoyed his previous books like the Percy Jackson series. Going into this book, I expected more of the same but Riordan surpassed those expectations. Immediately I noticed a much more mature tone to these books which I appreciated. This tone lent itself well to the nature of the book, one of more sci-fi with literature connections as well as a slightly older protagonist at 15 than Percy Jackson when we first meet him at 12 or 13. I also loved the autism spectrum/neurodivergent rep that he included with Ester. I really loved her character. I also loved all the animal characters, especially Jupiter and his love for Mary Berry. The plot of this book felt complex, much more complex than any of Riordan's other books that I have read. I did not expect to give this book five stars but that's what it got from me....more
I have a hard time coming up with things to say about this book. I read it but I never really gelled with any of the characters or the plot. Usually, I have a hard time coming up with things to say about this book. I read it but I never really gelled with any of the characters or the plot. Usually, I can step back and evaluate a book but I find it hard to do with this one. I think Zhao created a fascinating concept with believable characters, characters that did show some growth, at least the main characters. In the end, this was not the book for me....more
My review of this book suffers from the fact that I finished it the day after I finished one of the most amazing books that I have ever read, a book fMy review of this book suffers from the fact that I finished it the day after I finished one of the most amazing books that I have ever read, a book far different from this one. That being said, while I enjoyed this book, it did nothing profound. It felt like nearly 600 pages of fluff. Granted, that fluff included lots of fighting, demons, blood, gore, and death, but fluff nonetheless. By this point, Cassandra Clare has created an expansive world full of details and nuance, almost too much. She has so many amazing characters, too many really. These prominent families mix and mingle to a somewhat alarming degree even though she writes compelling romance. I did not mind reading the book. I will enjoy reading the next one and will likely pick up the conclusion when it comes out later this year. Am I compelled to purchase these books? Nope....more
I feel really conflicted about this book, primarily for how the book resolved. It read like Brigid Kemmerer, in her desire to extend the series, wroteI feel really conflicted about this book, primarily for how the book resolved. It read like Brigid Kemmerer, in her desire to extend the series, wrote herself into a corner that created compelling intrigue and promise but lacked an exit. Also, everything (well almost everything since she wrote herself a possibility of more books in this world) wrapped up with a nice pretty bow when leaving the nice, pretty bow off of the ending would have kept the narrative grounded in the messy reality of trauma that Kemmerer portrayed so well in the first part of the book. I know that that review does not really lend itself to a 4 star rating but other than the ending, I really loved this book and nearly loved it more than the second...right up until the ending. I spent the entire book trying to figure out how she was going to get these characters out of the terrible mess she created for them and in the end, I think she couldn't figure it out. However, I think that she balanced the four perspectives well. She dealt with the very real trauma exceptionally well, including making Rhen deal with his seemingly uncharacteristic actions in the second book. Ultimately, while not my favorite series, I will likely purchase this series for my collection because I enjoyed so much of it....more
This book is nothing like anything I have every read before. After finishing the book, all I want to do is gush incoherently at its brilliance. I willThis book is nothing like anything I have every read before. After finishing the book, all I want to do is gush incoherently at its brilliance. I will refrain, however. I went into the book with an open mind knowing little about the plot but a lot about how much so many others had loved the book. In this review, I will also avoid as many spoilers as I possibly can because I think not knowing makes this book so much better. This book begins with a slow build up. Boulley takes her time developing Daunis as a character. We really become invested in her as a person which makes later events so impactful. We learn about Daunis' struggle as a biracial teenager in this small town on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and how she walks the line between being the granddaughter of some of the richest people in town as well as part of the Ojibwe tribe. That sentence I just wrote barely scratches the surface of what Daunis deals with every day. Boulley also carefully crafts Daunis' relationships with characters both alive and dead such as her Firekeeper father and her Fontaine uncle. Boulley shows when so many others would tell. That raises the caliber of this work. Then when the mystery really begins, Boulley keeps Daunis rooted in her Ojibwe culture, helping her stay true to who she discovers herself to be. When all that paid off in the last portion of the book...I had to take my glasses off and wipe my watering eyes. A rare few books have ever moved me the way this one has....more
I really enjoyed this book. I think that I had enough separation from the first book in the series that I did not mind the extension of the overall stI really enjoyed this book. I think that I had enough separation from the first book in the series that I did not mind the extension of the overall story, a downside I mentioned in my review of that book. Since I had two years in between when I read the books, this book felt like almost an entirely new story. On top of that, I enjoyed Gray more as the male protagonist and Lia Mara as the female protagonist. Not that I don't like Harper; I really enjoyed her. However, many of the actions that Rhen took in this book made it feel like his character took several steps backwards as well as made Harper seem way more docile and less able to stand on her own like she does in the first book. (They do not appear in much of the book, however.) I did appreciate that Kemmerer validated the horrific trauma that both Gray and Rhen endured while under Lillith's curse. It helped humanize the actions of both men as well as explain some of Rhen's actions, especially after reading the epilogue....more
I went into this book having read and watched mixed reviews of the book. Then I started listening to the audiobook, decent narrator, and read that proI went into this book having read and watched mixed reviews of the book. Then I started listening to the audiobook, decent narrator, and read that prologue which made me gag. The prologue opens up from a POV that we experience only in the prologue, (otherwise I would have DNF'd). This character brutally executes another character for a reason that becomes apparent much later in the book. That opening scene left a really bad taste in my mouth. I knew that I would not rate this book high at all. Then Bracken gives us the character of Lore. I do not find fault in the character herself, rather in the impossibility of pinning even an age range onto Lore. Bracken does not give Lore's age until over 60% into the book. Lore does NOT read like a 17 year old, at all. Also, I know that this is supposed to be a brutal world. However, children of the age of whenever Lore starts training (Bracken never explains this well) simply do not have the physiological development to do the sort of things Bracken describes. Then we get to the whole premise itself, the Agon. Lovers of Greek mythology and of mythological retellings and urban fantasy crossovers, the people who this book ostensibly seeks as its audience, do not get a realistic new world. The Agon and the "lore" behind it do no make much sense at all as a supposed continuation of the ancient myths. I have read from the originals (in English) to Percy Jackson. This book does not fit in that spectrum. The only thing that rescues this book are the side characters. I really like Van and I absolutely adore Miles. Those characters and their relationship save this book from the trash heap....more
Although I got off to a rocky start with my read of this book and kept falling asleep the first couple nights I read (my fault since I picked up the bAlthough I got off to a rocky start with my read of this book and kept falling asleep the first couple nights I read (my fault since I picked up the book at the very end of the day when I was already tired), I ended up enjoying the book. In this book, Garber creates an enjoyable and believable fairytale world. I say fairytale specifically because this book is filled with fairytale tropes, significantly more than general fantasy tropes. I have always loved fairytales so it does not surprise me that I enjoyed a book that leans so heavily into these tropes. Additionally, Garber pulls this off without making the book too childish or too mature, a fine line to walk. Even though we have just over 400 pages, the plot moved incredibly quickly and still set up the book well to stand as a series. I loved the twists and the turns of the plot and the fact that Evangeline had to deal with the real consequences of the decisions and actions of others in the book, something Garber manages while maintaining the fairytale nature, quite the feat since most fairytales avoid most senses of realism....more
From the beginning of this book, I knew it was not the book for me. Because I'm stubborn, I persisted and read all 563 pages of this book. That being From the beginning of this book, I knew it was not the book for me. Because I'm stubborn, I persisted and read all 563 pages of this book. That being said, Aveyard did not pen a bad book. She did not pen a good book either. This book struggles from a few things. One, she tried way too hard to build this immense fantastical world. I could tell that from the beginning. She packed so much world building into these pages that the reader had no time to connect with the characters or the driving conflict of the plot. Two, when creating names, Aveyard did not follow traditional English spelling conventions. Creating new words, believable names, can be done. But certain letter combinations do not occur in the English language. Aveyard used many of those combinations in her names in this book. This could cause a huge stumbling point to readers with dyslexia or readers with other first languages aside from English. Three, she used a multiple POVs but did not do enough to distinguish the characters. Several times I had to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to figure out whose perspective the chapter supposedly came from. I will not read the second book in the series when it comes out this year. (Although I may change my mind if it makes the goodreads choice awards list...perhaps.)...more
I had such an enjoyable time reading this book. Other reviews have characterized this as similar to a whimsical Disney-esque fairytale. I agree with tI had such an enjoyable time reading this book. Other reviews have characterized this as similar to a whimsical Disney-esque fairytale. I agree with that. That being said, this book is not without its flaws. The one thing that bothered me about this book is how young Shiori read. Throughout the course of the novel, Shiori turns 17. Especially at the beginning of the novel, she read as 12 or 13. Since I read a lot of middle grades, that did not turn me off to the book since the author could have made this book a middle grades book with just a few tweaks. However, this did form a bit of incongruity that occasionally brought me out of full engagement with the book. This explains why I gave the book 4.5 stars rather than 5. (Although since 카지노싸이트 does not do the partial star thing, I will rate the book 5 stars on 카지노싸이트.) Speaking positively, Elizabeth Lim did such a good job developing Shiori as a character. Shiori shows character growth, immense character growth, throughout the narrative, even when Lim penned her as a spunky, lovable character that you already fall in love with at the beginning of the novel, before she has any time for character growth. Additionally, I love the nuance that Lim gave to Raikama and her motivation for placing the curse on Shiori and her brothers. When she reveals this in the last quarter of the book, I smiled with satisfaction. It makes so much sense and opens the door for even more growth. I eagerly anticipate the release of the sequel!...more
I do not thing that a more stereotypical YA fae fantasy romance could be written. Ryan added absolutely no depth to any of the characters. I absolutelI do not thing that a more stereotypical YA fae fantasy romance could be written. Ryan added absolutely no depth to any of the characters. I absolutely despise Sebastian and saw everything coming on that arm of the love triangle. I really do not understand what Brie could possibly see in him. Also, Ryan had to throw in some insta-love as well for the Brie and Finn relationship. I mean seriously. Even with how much I could write about the clichés of this book, I do not think it worthy of one or two stars. Ryan does have some skill with the actual execution of the narrative. Plus, something I cannot really put my finger on it, perhaps simply that I did not have an unpleasant experience reading this book, keeps me from rating it lower. I will not, however, go on to read the second book in this series. I could not care less about what ultimately happens....more
Sigh. Mahurin took a fascinating concept with a lot of potential nurtured in Blood and Honey (book 2) and slowly crushed it to death with the weight ofSigh. Mahurin took a fascinating concept with a lot of potential nurtured in Blood and Honey (book 2) and slowly crushed it to death with the weight of 500 long, drawn out pages in this book. While not a bad book (hence the 3 stars not 2 or 1), Mahurin wrote way too many words in this story. If she had ended the book shortly after resolving the "problem" with Lou, something that happened around the 30% mark in the book, I would have given this book 4 stars. Unfortunately, Mahurin decided to throw in one of my least favorite tropes, memory loss that completely eradicates every bit of character development established in the first 2 1/3 books. Yeah. I sort of disconnected with the book then but had to muddle through until the end. Mahurin still managed to keep me fairly engaged with how things would ultimately resolve but I would not recommend this book or unfortunately this series since none of the earlier books can stand on their own....more
I really wish that 카지노싸이트 allowed for half stars. Oh well. I continued to absolutely love this book. One of the biggest draws for me comes from the I really wish that 카지노싸이트 allowed for half stars. Oh well. I continued to absolutely love this book. One of the biggest draws for me comes from the narrators, especially the male narrator of this book. I could listen to him for hours. The other big draw comes from Faizal's lush, lyrical narrative and world building. I could clearly picture Arawiya, its five caliphates and the people that make up those caliphates. She creates such a beautiful world that I want to go there and never leave. I realized that Faizal employs the sort of lyrical narrative that Laini Taylor does in the Strange the Dreamer duology, one of my favorite fantasy series/worlds ever so obviously, I loved the world of Arawiya that Faizal created. I could nitpick a few things from the books, such as the underutilization of Yasmine (and her lack of development as a character) but that would not reflect my experience of reading this book. I felt immersed in the story, in its twists and turns, in the ever evolving magic system, in the changing and deepening relationships between all of the characters. I will definitely add these books to my shelves soon....more
I could not put this book down. I even stayed up past my "bed time" to finish it. Having already fallen in love with the characters in the first book, I could not put this book down. I even stayed up past my "bed time" to finish it. Having already fallen in love with the characters in the first book, Young continues their development throughout the conclusion of the duology. In particular, I loved how she fleshed out West's character, made him into more of a morally gray character, one with flaws that you can still love and that Fable obviously loves. I read it so quickly, however, that I did not dwell on the narrative enough to piece together a nuanced review. I will save that for a potential future reread....more
Okay so... This book follows a lot of YA fantasy tropes. As I think about what I will write in this review, I keep thinking of more. In the process I hOkay so... This book follows a lot of YA fantasy tropes. As I think about what I will write in this review, I keep thinking of more. In the process I have talked myself into giving this book a 3 star rating, average, rather than 4 stars. Mahurin does nothing new with this book. The whole thing feels full of tropes, overdone YA tropes with lots of other things typical of the genre. That does not mean that I did not enjoy it. It just makes the book average. Some of the tropes include: enemies to lovers, not like other girls heroine who loses a bit of her fire after marriage, hopelessly naive boy-men, overbearing patriarchal religious figures, marriage of convenience with someone who turns out to have "connections", and so much more. Okay, so they're not tropes exactly but I think you understand what I mean. Also, the one exceptionally steamy scene in the book felt utterly ridiculous and far fetched. One, Mahurin did not even make clear exactly where the characters physically were at the moment. Two, Reid suddenly forgot his deathly fear of heights to "get it on" in a place that seemed not too safe. Three, Mahurin mentioned snow and the fact that the characters did not mind the snow because of all the heated passion. Um...no. That's not how biology works or the laws of physics, etc. Four, it lasted way too long and added absolutely nothing to the plot with the excess paragraphs spent on it. As I have said before, generally I'm not a fan of these sorts of scenes for a variety of reasons but for the sake of a book review, I mention my dislikes or problems with the scene because, in my mind/opinion, they detract from the story and add nothing to character growth. Yes, the characters need to come together. Yes, Mahurin did a good job in keeping this from insta-love and making the relationship seem believable. However, description of the actual physical act adds nothing to the plot. I struggle to come up with other types of overtly described details about actions that add measurably to the plot. I feel the same way about extended fight scenes. Anyway...I digress. Even with those criticisms above, I enjoyed reading the story, enjoyed it enough that I will persevere and read the other two books in the story. I think it has potential and even if I do not end up loving it, at least I will not have left another series uncompleted....more
After finishing "The Ones We're Meant to Find", I dove right into this one and immediately fell in love for two primary reasons. First, this book has After finishing "The Ones We're Meant to Find", I dove right into this one and immediately fell in love for two primary reasons. First, this book has a significantly better narrator. Second, Young plunges the reader into action and the world right away, leaving little time for the reader to catch their breath before becoming invested in the story. I absolutely love that. In this story, the titular character, Fable, works on an island in the outskirts of the world, Javal, where her father, the powerful trader Saint, left her to fend for herself mere hours after his ship sank, killing the love of his life, Fable's mother. She spends four years surviving and saving up enough coppers to leave the island and return to her father to show him that she could survive. Along the way, she makes enemies and one of those enemies forces her to seek shelter on the boat of a man who had purchased from Fable, West. I loved how Young built these characters. None of them follow any sort of formula. All of them take up full rounded character spots and make the reader fall in love with them as you learn more about them, their flaws and their motivation. I'm so thankful that I did not pick up this book to read until the sequel had been published because I don't think I could have waited patiently for its publication. Also, I realized as I finished the book that I have read one of Young's other book and absolutely loved it. She might have just become a new favorite....more
I started listening to this book with mediocre expectations. I had heard mixed reviews about the book which helped set my expectations lower. Also, I'I started listening to this book with mediocre expectations. I had heard mixed reviews about the book which helped set my expectations lower. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of the narrator even though, eventually I got used to her narration. At first, I did not find myself super engaged with the dual perspectives. They started out so far apart that I could not see how they would eventually come together. I also loved Cee's perspective way much more than Kasey's, primarily because He put so much of the world building into Kasey's perspective. Then I had the opportunity on the drive down to the beach to listen uninterrupted. The narrative really got going at that point as well. The threads of the perspectives drew closer and closer together, much sooner than I expected. I kept wondering what He would do with the rest of the book since it appeared that the storylines connected with over an hour and a half left on the audiobook. That's when I fell head over heels with the book. He untterly blew my mind with the last third of the book. I won't say anything about what she did because that would spoil so much of it. I definitely enjoyed this book far more than I expected....more
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