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voxvenati's reviews
172 reviews
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
The second worst thing about this book is the writing:
The sex scenes were in a sort of reverse order of escalation. In my opinion, they started with the most dark/fucked up stuff and moved into seriously vanilla sex by the end. Why would they do this..?
Also, for a book with dub/noncon, it never felt like dubcon/noncon. Adeline is into it almost right away. There isn’t a real internal turmoil, it’s just. Kinda like a role play for her. Again, weak that they didn’t commit to this fully. That isn’t to say it isn’t assault - it’s definitely sexual assault within the context because there was no consent. But the way Adeline reacted was…not what you’d expect of noncon or dubcon.
When all is said and done, this was a mediocre book with poor writing and an awful payoff for the actual mystery element. Weak plot, no character development, and mid sex scenes. And though the sex scenes were plentiful, I wouldn’t want Zade within ten feet of me with his borderline incel vibes, so I’m not sure if that counts as a positive or a negative.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
This book was a mess. The concept was interesting enough - a stalker romance? In an old, possibly haunted house? Ok. I’m on board. But everything after the premise was handled like garbage, unfortunately.
The first and worst offender? Zade. First, that name is really not it. Second, he is boring. He doesn’t even have an interesting backstory. Third, they tried to make him a good guy instead of committing to the stalker theme. “Oh he’s a vigilante”. Weak. Last, he is such a strange combination of conspiracy theorist, edgelord, and ??? It’s extremely unsexy. I’ll provide quotes in spoilers:
Moon landing conspiracy theorist:
I don’t know if God really exists. I don’t know if mankind has ever walked on the moon.
Edgelord:
Since I was a kid, I had a knack for computer science, and my skills have surpassed even the top hackers in government organizations.
The first and worst offender? Zade. First, that name is really not it. Second, he is boring. He doesn’t even have an interesting backstory. Third, they tried to make him a good guy instead of committing to the stalker theme. “Oh he’s a vigilante”. Weak. Last, he is such a strange combination of conspiracy theorist, edgelord, and ??? It’s extremely unsexy. I’ll provide quotes in spoilers:
I don’t know if God really exists. I don’t know if mankind has ever walked on the moon.
Edgelord:
Since I was a kid, I had a knack for computer science, and my skills have surpassed even the top hackers in government organizations.
The second worst thing about this book is the writing:
Her blonde hair is tucked tightly into a chignon, pink lipstick painted on her thin lips, and icy blue eyes.
“As much as I hate to say this to you, I’m no stranger to a woman’s pussy and what it feels like when it weeps for me.”
I love the way his fiery orbs trace over my body, like a paintbrush tracing the curves of a woman on a canvas.
The sex scenes were in a sort of reverse order of escalation. In my opinion, they started with the most dark/fucked up stuff and moved into seriously vanilla sex by the end. Why would they do this..?
Also, for a book with dub/noncon, it never felt like dubcon/noncon. Adeline is into it almost right away. There isn’t a real internal turmoil, it’s just. Kinda like a role play for her. Again, weak that they didn’t commit to this fully. That isn’t to say it isn’t assault - it’s definitely sexual assault within the context because there was no consent. But the way Adeline reacted was…not what you’d expect of noncon or dubcon.
When all is said and done, this was a mediocre book with poor writing and an awful payoff for the actual mystery element. Weak plot, no character development, and mid sex scenes. And though the sex scenes were plentiful, I wouldn’t want Zade within ten feet of me with his borderline incel vibes, so I’m not sure if that counts as a positive or a negative.
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A sweet book with a different perspective on the meaning of life. It was so easy and beautiful to read. I only wish we’d gotten to see more of Sentaro and Wakana after.
A favorite quote:
I began to understand that we were born in order to see and listen to the world…my life had meaning.
A favorite quote:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Jesus Christ, that was painful. I suppose I’ll start with the short list of enjoyable things.
Most of the side characters are somewhat charming: Nesta, Azriel, Armen, Cassian, Lucien. Also, the writing is easy to digest. Very simple.
Where do I begin with the problems? This book could have easily been 1/3 the length for everything that doesn’t happen in the first ~60%. I cannot emphasize enough how little happens in this book.
No character gets any true development. Some characters get assassinated by the writing instead - Tamlin and Lucien in particular.Impossibly lazy writing to have their characters descend into their current state off screen.
SJM is queen of inconsistencies. Let’s hope your attention span is short bc if you remember details from the “world building” of ACOTAR…no you don’t.
It’s been said a hundred times over, but the racism and treatment of SA is appalling. If this had not been a buddy read I would have DNF’d when they said this little number:
“The Illyrians,” Rhys smoothly cut in, that light finally returning to his gaze, “are unparalleled warriors, and are rich with stories and traditions. But they are also brutal and backward, particularly in regard to how they treat their females.”…“They cripple their females so they can keep them for breeding more flawless warriors.”
It’s funny how many similarities you can find to other works, and how SJM has just absolutely butchered them. She loves to copy other ideas, but her execution is always worse. Example:
ACOMAF: There you are. I’ve been looking for you. His first words to me—not a lie at all, not a threat to keep those faeries away.
Howl says to Sophie: “There you are, sweetheart, sorry I'm late. I was looking everywhere for you.”
Oh, and how could I possibly forget how painfully dull and stupid Feyre is. Every other character is ten times more interesting than her, but alas, we are stuck with this child.
What can I say about this in conclusion? Don’t read it if you want a dense, lore-rich world. Don’t expect brilliant plot threads or interesting character arcs. If you want some easy to read, mediocre fairy smut (that doesn’t happen really until the 60%+ mark), and a basic, macguffin based plot laced with some racist and oftentimes misogynistic undertones, this is the book for you.
Most of the side characters are somewhat charming: Nesta, Azriel, Armen, Cassian, Lucien. Also, the writing is easy to digest. Very simple.
Where do I begin with the problems? This book could have easily been 1/3 the length for everything that doesn’t happen in the first ~60%. I cannot emphasize enough how little happens in this book.
No character gets any true development. Some characters get assassinated by the writing instead - Tamlin and Lucien in particular.
SJM is queen of inconsistencies. Let’s hope your attention span is short bc if you remember details from the “world building” of ACOTAR…no you don’t.
It’s been said a hundred times over, but the racism and treatment of SA is appalling. If this had not been a buddy read I would have DNF’d when they said this little number:
It’s funny how many similarities you can find to other works, and how SJM has just absolutely butchered them. She loves to copy other ideas, but her execution is always worse. Example:
Howl says to Sophie: “There you are, sweetheart, sorry I'm late. I was looking everywhere for you.”
Oh, and how could I possibly forget how painfully dull and stupid Feyre is. Every other character is ten times more interesting than her, but alas, we are stuck with this child.
What can I say about this in conclusion? Don’t read it if you want a dense, lore-rich world. Don’t expect brilliant plot threads or interesting character arcs. If you want some easy to read, mediocre fairy smut (that doesn’t happen really until the 60%+ mark), and a basic, macguffin based plot laced with some racist and oftentimes misogynistic undertones, this is the book for you.
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
Please take a look at content warnings before reading this if you have any things you’re even iffy on. It’s pretty graphic on several fronts.
There isn’t exactly a specific content warning tag for this, but it’s going in spoilers for anyone who doesn’t want to know:
It doesn’t get extremely graphic, but there’s moderate depiction of bestiality toward the end of the book. It was disturbing and took me by surprise so I wanted to add that in here. It is not endorsed by the main character, it’s about how fucked up a no-name character is, but still relevant for content warnings beyond just the “animal cruelty” tag.
After all that, I did enjoy the rest of the book. The Netflix show deviated from the book in a lot of respects, but they’re both just as engaging, and I had a good time with both. The world building is phenomenal. I’m obsessed. I enjoyed the characters, especially Kovacs. The plot was solid. I found myself thinking about this book almost constantly when I wasn’t reading it. People hate on the sex scenes, but I found them better written than most of the romance and erotica I’ve read this year.
The most fascinating thing in the book is, of course, the altered carbon. The way Morgan discusses the implications of such a technology - how resleeving affects people psychologically, how the government takes advantage of it, what happens when you can’t afford to bring a loved one back, how organized religion would react to this, how class disparities become so great that the 1% virtually become gods. Really good shit. Chef kiss.
Even so, there were a few negatives for me. First, the above spoiler/content warning was really unexpected. It made its point but the amount of time spent on it hurt me. Second, I’m not sure how I feel about the treatment of sex work in this world. Takeshi seems neutral toward it, but Ortega makes several disparaging comments about the “whorehouses” and people working there. Last, the treatment of the Sharya culture and peoples was distasteful at times.
This book certainly has its issues, but the writing, characters, concepts, and plot really made up for it in my opinion. If none of the content warnings are a dealbreaker, it’s worth a read. Just don’t expect it to be the Netflix show.
There isn’t exactly a specific content warning tag for this, but it’s going in spoilers for anyone who doesn’t want to know:
After all that, I did enjoy the rest of the book. The Netflix show deviated from the book in a lot of respects, but they’re both just as engaging, and I had a good time with both. The world building is phenomenal. I’m obsessed. I enjoyed the characters, especially Kovacs. The plot was solid. I found myself thinking about this book almost constantly when I wasn’t reading it. People hate on the sex scenes, but I found them better written than most of the romance and erotica I’ve read this year.
The most fascinating thing in the book is, of course, the altered carbon. The way Morgan discusses the implications of such a technology - how resleeving affects people psychologically, how the government takes advantage of it, what happens when you can’t afford to bring a loved one back, how organized religion would react to this, how class disparities become so great that the 1% virtually become gods. Really good shit. Chef kiss.
Even so, there were a few negatives for me. First, the above spoiler/content warning was really unexpected. It made its point but the amount of time spent on it hurt me. Second, I’m not sure how I feel about the treatment of sex work in this world. Takeshi seems neutral toward it, but Ortega makes several disparaging comments about the “whorehouses” and people working there. Last, the treatment of the Sharya culture and peoples was distasteful at times.
This book certainly has its issues, but the writing, characters, concepts, and plot really made up for it in my opinion. If none of the content warnings are a dealbreaker, it’s worth a read. Just don’t expect it to be the Netflix show.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Violence, Excrement, and Colonisation
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was my first Murakami, and I’m a bit on the fence, but it was a good experience in general. The prose is soft and pulls you in. It really took me to Tokyo, put me in Toru’s shoes. It felt like I was back in Japan.
The whole book took me on a rollercoaster. It got me to cry in the first third, drew me in in the second, and left me feeling contemplative at the end. I did enjoy the ending, though the “plot” is loose at best. It’s more a character study.
However, it wasn’t all good. It’s disappointing how Toru sleeps with all but one of the female characters he gets to know. Every other girl is almost reduced to his sexual encounters with her. And I kept expecting a reveal, or some little connection to occur between the various characters, but that never happens.
I’m not sure if I like this book exactly, but the experience reading it (or rather, listening to it) was a good one.
The whole book took me on a rollercoaster. It got me to cry in the first third, drew me in in the second, and left me feeling contemplative at the end. I did enjoy the ending, though the “plot” is loose at best. It’s more a character study.
However, it wasn’t all good. It’s disappointing how Toru sleeps with all but one of the female characters he gets to know. Every other girl is almost reduced to his sexual encounters with her. And I kept expecting a reveal, or some little connection to occur between the various characters, but that never happens.
I’m not sure if I like this book exactly, but the experience reading it (or rather, listening to it) was a good one.
Three Swedish Mountain Men by Lily Gold
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.5
Overall a pretty cute book. Much sweeter than I was expecting, in a good way. The sweet parts helped balanced out the many sex scenes. And I enjoyed the external plot just fine. It ties up nicely.
All three men were very sweet and cute - I love Cole - though it did take a bit for their personalities to really pop. They felt quite bland at the start.
A few things detracted from the book in general. Daisy, at times, is a bit annoying and cringe. There’s a huge focus on size/height difference, which gets old. The sex scenes were somewhat varied, but became repetitive toward the middle.
Her lying from the beginning and never choosing to tell them on her own was a third act conflict I could see from a mile away. I don’t hate how it was resolved - love the face time this gave Cole - but miscommunication, even intentional, is annoying as hell.
Really liked how they resolved the plot with her shitty ex though. Extra delicious that he got both prison time and put on the register as a sex offender.
All three men were very sweet and cute - I love Cole - though it did take a bit for their personalities to really pop. They felt quite bland at the start.
A few things detracted from the book in general. Daisy, at times, is a bit annoying and cringe. There’s a huge focus on size/height difference, which gets old. The sex scenes were somewhat varied, but became repetitive toward the middle.
Really liked how they resolved the plot with her shitty ex though. Extra delicious that he got both prison time and put on the register as a sex offender.
The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked this book more than I thought I would.
This book was great in the first half, when they were still in the park and focusing on it. If they’d gone more into the park, lore and rides and so on, I think this could have been a 4 star, but it dissolves into relationship drama and the park is left in the background. Somewhat expected, but still.
Other minor issues for me were: how immature Zahra was; how repetitive the sex scenes were; use of “females” and “males”; and an overall lack of delicious and/or theme park food.
Zahra gets over the fact that Rowan is responsible for their trash healthcare and poor salaries WAY too quickly. Worst offender of “unbelievable” in the whole plot. Girl needs to hate billionaires a bit more, come on.
And I hated their trip to New York. I understand it was plot relevant for her to get sick and a bonus for them to get Christmas-time vibes but. It was boring.
The loose plot was fine. Believable? No, but that’s not important. It was fun enough and the main characters were fine.
This book was great in the first half, when they were still in the park and focusing on it. If they’d gone more into the park, lore and rides and so on, I think this could have been a 4 star, but it dissolves into relationship drama and the park is left in the background. Somewhat expected, but still.
Other minor issues for me were: how immature Zahra was; how repetitive the sex scenes were; use of “females” and “males”; and an overall lack of delicious and/or theme park food.
And I hated their trip to New York. I understand it was plot relevant for her to get sick and a bonus for them to get Christmas-time vibes but. It was boring.
The loose plot was fine. Believable? No, but that’s not important. It was fun enough and the main characters were fine.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a fine book. It’s cozy, to be sure. The plot is light, the romance even lighter, but all the characters are cute and quirky in their own ways.
I think having a main antagonist throughout the book, instead of splitting it between two, and having the plot revolve around that the entire way through could have pulled off a more cohesive plot, but it’s not really about the plot. It’s about the coffee shop vibes.
I think having a main antagonist throughout the book, instead of splitting it between two, and having the plot revolve around that the entire way through could have pulled off a more cohesive plot, but it’s not really about the plot. It’s about the coffee shop vibes.
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Wow. I don’t know if I can articulate how hard this hit for me, but this book hit all the right notes. This book literally had me laughing out loud and then crying a few chapters later.
The characters were all crisp and unique, dialogue witty, the thriller elements foreboding, the action and spice just right. The catharsis at this end of this was phenomenal and had me crying.
The only thing that almost did me in was how slow it is to get rolling. The first half of the book introduces all the elements, and things don’t start happening until everything is set up. But my god, I’m glad I kept coming back.
This was one of my favorite quotes:
Theo is here, in front of me, looking at me with kind eyes that have no trace of doubt in them, his hands rubbed raw from an attempted exhumation.
No one has ever tried to save me.
My fear and pain and fatigue burn away in the generous light of his attempt, leaving a roar of the emptiness inside of me, and the feeling that only one thing can fill it right now.
The characters were all crisp and unique, dialogue witty, the thriller elements foreboding, the action and spice just right. The catharsis at this end of this was phenomenal and had me crying.
The only thing that almost did me in was how slow it is to get rolling. The first half of the book introduces all the elements, and things don’t start happening until everything is set up. But my god, I’m glad I kept coming back.
This was one of my favorite quotes:
No one has ever tried to save me.
My fear and pain and fatigue burn away in the generous light of his attempt, leaving a roar of the emptiness inside of me, and the feeling that only one thing can fill it right now.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book only gets a 2 because it was a blast to buddy read and pick apart. If I had read this on my own, I likely would have rated it lower.
First - the good. The writing style is simple and easy to get through, if a bit bland and “tell” over “show”. Lucien is the best character by far and did not get enough screen time in this. He is best boy. The concept of the seven courts is fun, if underdeveloped in this first installment.
The bad:
SJM didn’t do any research into hunting. Everything to do with hunting is laughably wrong. To call Feyre a “nineteen-year-old huntress” is too funny.
Feyre. There are so many problems with this protagonist. She’s rude, racist, stupid, impulsive, and has a short temper. What are her strengths? I’m still not sure.
There are plot inconsistencies everywhere. Throw a stone and you’ll hit a contradiction. Any fairytale allusions (Beauty and the Beast, Tam Lin, Cinderella) are grossly misused and completely irrelevant thematically. SJM missed the entire point of the original tales.
Some of the worst overused phrases or words: bleating, female/male/mate, “my bowels turned watery”, always something to do with bile or vomit.
There were a few elements that had potential, like SJM almost got it, but overall, this book is a mess from start to finish. If you like dissecting that sort of thing, or like to fix things in your head as you go, this is an excellent choice.
First - the good. The writing style is simple and easy to get through, if a bit bland and “tell” over “show”. Lucien is the best character by far and did not get enough screen time in this. He is best boy. The concept of the seven courts is fun, if underdeveloped in this first installment.
The bad:
SJM didn’t do any research into hunting. Everything to do with hunting is laughably wrong. To call Feyre a “nineteen-year-old huntress” is too funny.
Feyre. There are so many problems with this protagonist. She’s rude, racist, stupid, impulsive, and has a short temper. What are her strengths? I’m still not sure.
There are plot inconsistencies everywhere. Throw a stone and you’ll hit a contradiction. Any fairytale allusions (Beauty and the Beast, Tam Lin, Cinderella) are grossly misused and completely irrelevant thematically. SJM missed the entire point of the original tales.
Some of the worst overused phrases or words: bleating, female/male/mate, “my bowels turned watery”, always something to do with bile or vomit.
There were a few elements that had potential, like SJM almost got it, but overall, this book is a mess from start to finish. If you like dissecting that sort of thing, or like to fix things in your head as you go, this is an excellent choice.