sofieinthestacks's reviews
145 reviews

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

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adventurous emotional 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? Yes

4.5

...All I can think of to say is "AHHHHH (in a good way, but if course)." I loved this book so much and so many of the characters.... (*ahem* Scott *ahem* Magnus *ahem*) AND CHARACTER INTERACTIONS. Jem and Will, Scott and Magnus, Jem and Tessa, Will and Tessa, Charlotte and Henry. They all filled me with so much emotion — some good, some bad, some ready to cry — and that just the characters talking! Clare imbued the emotion of scenes so very well into her writing. And the characters' actions were mostly all very realistic to their character (there were a few that I questioned, but not many). All in all, I loved this book.
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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

4.0

Before I get into it, I must note that the primary thing that deducted from my enjoyment of the book was how long it took me to finish the book (and how many gaps between listening there were due to library loans being automatically returned).
That being said OH MY WORD. I love Will and Jem's bromance; they complements each other so well. I do, however, feel that the romance suggested between the two boys and Tessa was unnecessary (as all the same things still could've happened were they just friends, and Tessa truly had no reason to love either of them, and them, Tessa). Clare did write each character in a beautiful way, though. Often, I felt I could reach out and slap them across the face — both an euphoric and infuriating (in a good way) feeling.
I also feel that Clare wrote the intermingling of the supernatural and the ordinary in such a facinating, believable way.
All in all, I enjoyed this book.
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

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adventurous 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

4.75

Oh. My. Word. This was such a wonderful read. The characters are so well-crafted, and very different from one another. While some of the names are a little difficult to remember, I remember the characters by their actions and personality. ALSO the character's motives were and still are central to the story and the plot. The world, I found, wasn't as developed, but the world was not a big player of the story in the first place, so it didn't require as much detail. (Which is not to say that it had no detail; there was enough detail to visualize, but not so much that it distracted from the characters and the plot.)
There was one sex scene and a few innuendos, just to note for the people who are uncomfortable with that. Also, make sure to check content warnings, because there were many things that could potentially be triggering for people.

All in all, I loved this book, and would recommend it for someone looking for a story about a girl with lots of determination fighting to be more than and help other from the position she was forced into.
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Martin and Marco by Jonny Jimison

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

While it is part of a series (and I will continue to read through said series), I'm not sure how I felt about the first book. The characters felt flat, and the location, interchangeable. Perhaps its because I didn't have the same amount of time to connect to the characters, but I find myself rather apathetic towards them. We'll see how the following books go.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

I did not expect to read this as quickly as I did. That being said, I have no regrets. I thoroughly enjoyed following Kiela as she learnt to embrace something more than books. Also, there's Caz (a sentient spider plant). The setting was well-developed, and I'd love to learn more about their world, maybe read Kiela's research papers, if she writes anything, on Caltrey. I love how magic also had an impact (and was even necessary to) the setting, such as how the misuse of magic caused an imbalance to the entire world's scale.
Additionally, the characters' connections to each other were beautiful, and every character so well-developed. There was one relationship that felt both rushed and unnecessary, but other than that, the characters were gorgeous.
All in all, I loved this book and would recommend it for someone 1) who loves books and 2) is looking for a heart-felt story about a bibliophile finding a world outside of books (while still appreciating the beauty of books, of course).
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Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.75

I could not read this book fast enough; I loved it so much. A theater nerd (Riley) goes to work at her dad's game shop, starts playing D&D, and fall in love with a (rather game-nerdy) co-worker. I mean, you had me at D&D. I love how both characters passions were interweaved into the story — not just that, but all characters, even the side characters, stood out and were there own people. And the nerd-lingo! From various D&D terms to LARPing to musical theater stuff (that honestly goes over my head), there's so many terms (and the gaming terms are certainly noted, as Riley is learning these terms).

All in all, I loved this book so much, and would recommend it to either a musical theater nerd or a gaming (especially D&D) nerd (or, better yet, a combination of the two) who's looking for a lighthearted fluffy romance about two different people coming together and partaking in the other's interest.
Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

Oh. My. Word. I enjoyed this book so much. Lukens wrote Ellory and Knox so well. I love how Knox's struggles between his situation and what was expected of him was plainly shown, but still realistic. And Ellery's reactions to world-shattering news was also incredibly well-written.

I love how the setting played such an important part in Ellory's motivations instead of just acting as a backdrop for the story; it could not have been written in a different location, and I love that. 

All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone looking for a lighthearted urban (adjacent) fantasy story about two people from very different (even contradictory) backgrounds and beliefs coming together and refusing to abandon the other.
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In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

Ohmyword I loved this book so much. Tal and Athlen's relationship is so sweet, but I especially love Tal's journey to finding himself and embracing his magic (though that is a nuance of their relationship). I would've loved to see how Tal would carry through on some of his promises, though that's not the aim of the story. Another thing I wish had happened was for Tal's trauma to be more rounded. (Ok, that sounds screwed up, let me elaborate.) Where Tal went through some pretty traumatic stuff, it really only showed in one aspect of his life, even though the trauma itself related to several. I do like how deeply embedded Tal's fear of becoming like his great-grandfather was, though.
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Scythe by Neal Shusterman

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adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

"All such conflict is a thing of the past. There is peace on Earth, good will toward app humankind. Except..."

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Once I started reading, it sucked me in and captivated my essence in all the best ways possible. I loved Citra and her determination; I hated Goddard and his corruption, and I eagerly read through all the twists the story took.
Scythe is an intriguing book on the corruption of humanity, semi-frequently contrasting the human-run scythedom to the Thunderhead-run civilian society. There were so many moments that just left me starting at a wall, processing the emotionally wrenching scenes. But even with the darkness throughout the story, there were still moments I couldn't help but laugh. It was a nice reprieve from the heaviness of most of the story. 
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The Secret History by Donna Tartt

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Oh. My. God. I don't know what to say about this book. It was absolutely facinating. Would I agree with the character's actions? Usually, no. But seeing how they justified and reasoned things was intriguing.
Tartt wrote this scary realistic; I could see this events taking place with unnerving ease. And the characters were incredibly well-written. They were fleshed out, even as they spiraled out of sanity. All in all, this was an amazing read.
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