captainoliimar's reviews
62 reviews

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

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emotional informative inspiring mysterious 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

4.0

This book was quite an interesting read. I enjoyed the way it tackled identity and the ways that different identities interact and how you can be marginalised in some ways while also being discriminatory to those who are marginalised in different ways to you. I feel like I could recognise some of these characters in the people I knew when I was 17 like them. I enjoyed the exploration into identity, and the way that people with differing opinions on identity can coexist within the same community and how understanding your own identity doesn't always mean you get it right first time.

Characters - 7.5/10
Atmosphere/Setting - 7.25/10
Writing - 7.25/10
Plot - 8.75/10
Intrigue - 7.75/10
Logic - 8.5/10
Enjoyment - 7.75/10
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The Burning Room by Michael Connelly

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mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Honestly, I don't think this book was for me, there was nothing particularly wrong with it, I just didn't gel with the writing style very well and I felt the book could have been 100 pages shorter and I wouldn't have missed the content that was cut. Though I will say I do think the descriptions of some of the more technical stuff would be useful for someone who isn't knowledgable about things like bullet matching or cellphone pinging. 

I did find the case(s) intriguing and I wanted to know who the culprit was and how they did it, but I didn't find myself racing to get back to this book. I do think it is possibly aimed at an older reader which is not a fault of the book, but rather just a bad fit for me.

Overall, I don't think I will return to Michael Connelly's work again, but it was interesting to try out.

Characters - 5/10
Atmosphere/Setting - 6/10
Writing - 4.5/10
Plot - 7.25/10
Intrigue - 4.75/10
Logic - 8/10
Enjoyment - 3.5/10
Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda

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emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

4.0

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

I loved this book, I read most of it in one sitting and I was sad when I got to the end. I thought that the premise of the book was super unique and interesting. The way the chapters were laid out with the 'production logs' was really fun and I liked that they weren't just for show and you actually learnt stuff that was relevant to the plot through them. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who the murderer was and I want to reread the book and see how many bits of foreshadowing I can spot now I know the ending. I will say though that
I'm not sure I can forgive the author for killing the dog
.

I'm really glad that the writer has more books in this series and I can't wait to get my hands on them!

Characters - 9/10
Atmosphere/Setting - 6.5/10
Writing - 10/10
Plot - 8.5/10
Intrigue - 9/10
Logic - 7/10
Enjoyment - 9/10
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Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I could relate to a lot of the characters, especially Frances and Aled. It took me back to being being in year 11 and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and figure out who I was going to be in university. The story felt fairly realistic while also having a mystery woven through it that kept me engaged and wanting to find out what happens next.
I really think I would have enjoyed this book while I was doing my A-Levels, though it does cover quite a few potentially triggering topics. 
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The Forevers by Chris Whitaker

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dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The premise of this book is great, I was so excited to read it. But unfortunately it didn't quite live up to the hype. It was kind of confusing and the main character kind of just drifts around and seems like she's just an observer for a while. There were quite a lot of characters and it was very hard to keep track of who was who. For example,
when they revealed Oliver Sweeny's name in the file at the police station, I could not remember who he was at all
. I also found the transitions between scenes a bit confusing and it would sometimes take me a moment to realise that we weren't in the same place or talking to the same person anymore. The book also touches on pretty much every trigger warning there is, and while I appreciate that the author may have wanted to represent as many people as possible, it made it difficult to dive into any one issue with any real depth.

I did like the way the ending was written, it felt like it had had a bit more care put into it than the rest of the book, and it did make me tear up a little
especially the scene with the grandma
. The adults behaviour also felt frustrating but not unrealistic
given how people refused and still refuse to acknowledge the existence of COVID-19 and it's very obvious effects on all of us
. It seems rather obvious to me that this is a book that was written in response to the frustration a lot of us felt about the way that COVID-19 has been handled

Overall, I feel like this book could have been really great, it just needed a couple more rounds of editing. I'm interested in seeing where this author is in a couple years and maybe I'll pick up another one of his books then.
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The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

Midnights 3.25
Kindred Spirits 4.5 
Winter Songs for Summer 4.5
The Snow Ball 3.5
If the Fates Allow 4.75
The Prince and the Troll 3
Mixed Messages 3.5
Snow for Christmas 4.5
In Waiting 4.5
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.25

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Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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