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adhesivedolphin's reviews
105 reviews
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
What can I say. Every murderbot is a joy. It makes me laugh, makes me get emotional. I can see myself rereading these over and over, which isn't a common occurrence for me.
A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I read the first part of this duology last year and just got it off the waitlist. Sadly, this one dove into the parts of the first book I liked the least. Things picked up once the love interests found each other again, but that was most of the way though. I didn't love the ending and found it a little confusing. The exploration of team magic was, as in the last book, the highlight of the book. I also loved the secondary romance, though there was too little of it for me.
Leech by Hiron Ennes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was sooo close to being 5 stars for me. Sadly, the ending felt abrupt and left me with too many questions. But up to that point, what an amazing ride. I loved the way it played with my expectations, explored the characters and 'leeches' of the world. It reminded my a lot of 'Fall of the House of Usher', but did it so so well. I hope there's a sequel to this that explores the world more. I would buy it in a hot minute. I can't wait to see what this amazing gets up to next (this was a debut novel!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I don't read a ton of thrillers, but I'd heard there was a good plot twist in this one. Though I did figure it out, I didn't think that made it a bad twist. It was just a trope I recognized. I felt like some of the mental health commentary was odd, since I work in that field, but that might just be being too close to things. In the end, it was an easy read and kept me engaged.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
The perfect romantasy for me. Another author would have made this a three part series, but Alix Harrow did it right in one. The characters were interesting, real and showed actual growth. Loved it.
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I picked this one up because it won the 2024 Booker Prize and I was interested in seeing why. Unfortunately, I seem to be in the group that didn't enjoy this book. It read too much like a wikipedia article about the experience of space travel. The writing is lovely, and if you want space facts in that format, I can see why you might like this. For me though, without a real plot or central narrative, this fell flat for me.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
I wasn't sure about this book at first, but the subtle reframing that happens with magic and the nightmare throughout left me interested in the next book in the series. I'm not sure why I'm drawn to media that includes tarot cards, but this does fit this vein. I'm not in a romantasy mood lately, but if you are, this is an interesting one.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
It's a short but fun read. If you're into fairy tale retellings, this is really good Sleeping Beauty one. I liked the pacing and the structure of the story, as well as the characters. It was an easy read that is the kind of read that would pull me out of a slump.
He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
A great second part to the series. I loved the ending in spite (or because) of some tears. This is a fantastic series that I recommend highly. The exploration of gender is done in such a meaningful and interesting way.