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alyssalee2022's reviews
379 reviews
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
I could NOT put this book down. Started this before bed one night, read all the way through the next day until I fell asleep reading (only had to stop some during the day while visiting family), and only had to finish about 30 pages in the morning before work.
The atmosphere sucks you right in, and makes you almost a bit paranoid. I was curious with the mystery all the way through, and was constantly updating my theories as new information came through. That's exactly what I always want to do with a thriller, so it kept me on my toes. Honestly, the whole thing was kind of demented, which I like. I also thoroughly enjoyed an investigation through the eyes of a hobbyist crime writer, rather than the grizzled detective trope character we see all too often. It refreshed the story quite a bit.
My only concern is that there was absolutely no reason for romance to be added into this novel. I'm a sucker for romance as much as the next person, and it can spice up any novel from any genre, but it did nothing for the plot here and was just kind of tacked on.
The atmosphere sucks you right in, and makes you almost a bit paranoid. I was curious with the mystery all the way through, and was constantly updating my theories as new information came through. That's exactly what I always want to do with a thriller, so it kept me on my toes. Honestly, the whole thing was kind of demented, which I like. I also thoroughly enjoyed an investigation through the eyes of a hobbyist crime writer, rather than the grizzled detective trope character we see all too often. It refreshed the story quite a bit.
My only concern is that there was absolutely no reason for romance to be added into this novel. I'm a sucker for romance as much as the next person, and it can spice up any novel from any genre, but it did nothing for the plot here and was just kind of tacked on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Rape
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is pretty much exactly what I wanted from it! The first half was more narrative and really flew by for me. Definitely plot based, because I can't remember a single detail about any of the characters or even their names. While I enjoy science, the science writing got pretty dry as the book went on and made it harder for me to want to pick up the book. It's all good and true and whatnot, but as I was nearing the MCAT it just felt like more MCAT reading and not science fiction , which may or may not be my fault for the timing but I didn't want to pick it up as much. Even so, highly enjoyable, (mostly) fast paced, and more than a little eerie.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A level of atmospheric only someone with secret society experience could write. This was so incredibly well written, it'll be hard for other fantasy books to live up to this experience. I read this book on my honeymoon and I hate to admit this, but this book took up an unhealthy amount of my attention. Beautiful writing that made me feel like I was right there in the action, attached me to the characters, and sucked me in almost immediately.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual harassment
Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I enjoyed to steamy bits of this book, but overall this was just not the vibe. I'm sorry, Liz, but you deserve a better plot line outside of the smut. Big Stockholm syndrome feels. I'm gonna read the next one to give it a chance, but if I don't like it I'll end the series there.
I guess he never technically forced her to do anything sexually she didn't want to do, but he did force the khui into her and kidnap her off until she did fall in love with him, and that just really got under my skin. Like, when they got back to the tribe everyone else was making sure she was okay and they all realized that what he did was pretty controlling and abusive but she just did a complete 180 and it just BOTHERED me because that's what a lot of people who've been abused physically, emotionally, or otherwise act like. While I understand we all kind of suspend our disbelief when reading smut books to the point where we can enjoy toxic smutty things that we typically wouldn't like in real life, this just didn't allow me to do that. Rant over.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I enjoyed this so much more than I was expecting to and I have to say that I now think Sci-Fi Romance is the way to go. I was obviously reading mainly for the steamy bits but there was enough plot outside of that that kept me gripped even when it wasn't steamy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and now I want to binge the whole series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman
challenging
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
0.5
This book was SO bad.
I wanna preface his with I like YA and even middle grade books. I can appreciate books that weren't written for my age group, or have a more simplified message for younger readers. This book covers a hard topic, an important topic for a younger audience. However, it was done well beyond poorly. The characters are shallow and bitchy from beginning to end, and Megan makes Perdita's suicide about herself, which I feel is completely the opposite of the message! . If your book is meant to be about character development, then develop the characters!
I'm also surprised that the author has a degree from a pretty good university and can include such lovely poetry in her book when the writing is just so, <I>so</I> bad. It's awful. My seven year old stepson strings together better sentences than that. I've read some middle grade and YA with stunning prose, even with simplified language for a younger audience. This book, it's writing, and its message are worse than shallow and simplified. Truly atrocious.
If this book wasn't only 200 pages and took me all of 2 hours to read, I would have DNFed. To be honest, I really should have.
I wanna preface his with I like YA and even middle grade books. I can appreciate books that weren't written for my age group, or have a more simplified message for younger readers. This book covers a hard topic, an important topic for a younger audience. However, it was done well beyond poorly. The characters are shallow and bitchy from beginning to end, and
I'm also surprised that the author has a degree from a pretty good university and can include such lovely poetry in her book when the writing is just so, <I>so</I> bad. It's awful. My seven year old stepson strings together better sentences than that. I've read some middle grade and YA with stunning prose, even with simplified language for a younger audience. This book, it's writing, and its message are worse than shallow and simplified. Truly atrocious.
If this book wasn't only 200 pages and took me all of 2 hours to read, I would have DNFed. To be honest, I really should have.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
adventurous
reflective
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? No
5.0
Oh my god what a beautiful ending to an all around 5 star series.
This book manages to take a cheesy, "It was love all along. Love wins." type plot and make it actually <i>good</i>, almost poetic, even. Perfectly witty characters with a stark sense of loyalty and duty not only to each other, but to the legion that has labelled them terrorists and to the world that brought them all together. I have just about that same sense of loyalty to them. Comfort characters, for sure.
I want five million more epilogues for these characters.
This book manages to take a cheesy, "It was love all along. Love wins." type plot and make it actually <i>good</i>, almost poetic, even. Perfectly witty characters with a stark sense of loyalty and duty not only to each other, but to the legion that has labelled them terrorists and to the world that brought them all together. I have just about that same sense of loyalty to them. Comfort characters, for sure.
I want five million more epilogues for these characters.
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
I don't know where to begin with this, other than this may be one of my favorite reads of all time.
Incredibly difficult topics, intense grief, depression, religious trauma, etc., are covered in such a poetic way. Although my experiences will never quite be the same as a black immigrant in the south, living in Alabama, living in the evangelical south, is an experience that can transcend demographics. That connection helped me to connect to Gifty and her experiences in a way that I wouldn't otherwise be able to.
Gifty's bridge between science and God/spirituality, and how one or the other wasn't quite enough for her life and curiosity, was particularly poignant. Needing both, rather than one or the other, to make sense of her lived experiences and hardships is something I can attest to. To watch Gifty come to this point, to see her brother's addiction and mother's depression through her eyes and watch her desperately attempt to make sense of both and what they meant for her life and theirs, gripped my heart with such an intensity I don't know if I'll ever get over it.
emotional
reflective
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
I don't know where to begin with this, other than this may be one of my favorite reads of all time.
Incredibly difficult topics, intense grief, depression, religious trauma, etc., are covered in such a poetic way. Although my experiences will never quite be the same as a black immigrant in the south, living in Alabama, living in the evangelical south, is an experience that can transcend demographics. That connection helped me to connect to Gifty and her experiences in a way that I wouldn't otherwise be able to.
Gifty's bridge between science and God/spirituality, and how one or the other wasn't quite enough for her life and curiosity, was particularly poignant. Needing both, rather than one or the other, to make sense of her lived experiences and hardships is something I can attest to. To watch Gifty come to this point, to see her brother's addiction and mother's depression through her eyes and watch her desperately attempt to make sense of both and what they meant for her life and theirs, gripped my heart with such an intensity I don't know if I'll ever get over it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The actual romance parts of this book save it, because for the most part this writing just ain't it. It reads very much like a Hallmark movie written by the intern, and the ending is just VERY convenient and cheesy. I enjoyed the character development that came along with the twins finding themselves, and I especially loved what's basically the meet cute for the two love interests and each of the twins. Besides that, the whole swap charade was really annoying, and I had to suspend quite a bit of logic to read this book all the way through. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone, unless Hallmark Christmas movies are a huge guilty pleasure for you.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming and Misogyny