graywild's reviews
575 reviews

The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I got this as an ARC.  2 timelines are in this story.  2041 - a series of letters written by Kelly to her daughter.  2078 - several different character trying to survive.  Climate change is occurring and the governments around the world seem to be just giving in to the inevitable destruction coming.  There is a cult that has isolated itself from the rest of the US and has set up basically a survivalist camp. This cult appears in both timelines.  The general story is ok but some of the people showing up seems a bit unrealistic in a dystopian world.  Found it hard to engage and like the characters.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

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

4.0

Lauren comes home after a night out with friends to her husband.  One problem she is not married.  She soon discovers she can live a new life with a new husband as long as she can get the old one to go up into the attic.  Story becomes an exercise in willingness to get to know people versus just judging them on the first impression.  Clever story but not sure I liked the ending.  Recommend.
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Short stories based in horror.  Overall the stories were well written and unique to each other.  Recommend it you like both.
From G to PG to R to X by Stephen C. Bird

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

0.25

I received this as an ARC.  Terrible story.  Totally disjointed.  Some politically stuff with thinly veiled character who is cleared Trump.  Seemed like a bad stream of consciousness book.
Terraform Charlie by Edge O. Erin

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adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

The book starts off with Charlie, who is in charge of terraforming a distant planet.  Earth has climate change problems as well as political problems leading up to a global nuclear war.  For the 1st 100 pages we follow Charlie's story.  Then we switch to Nova Terra and the 200+ people who have been sent there to scout out the progress of the terraforming.  Go another 100 pages or so and we are through a couple of generations there.  Finally we start going into the story that is 4000 years in the future.  Mix in part of the story of Charlie back and forth.  I feel like this would have been better as a 3 part series.  At 600 pages could have just focused on the future situation and it would have been fine.
And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Harry is a failed actor trying to find the next paycheck.  His grandmother wrote a series of children's book about Underhill.  What if Underhill is not really fiction.  Harry is taken to a wardrobe where he travels to a world that is liked a messed up Narnia (definitely reference specifically in the book).  The story was a good pace for me and a good twist to the story.
Anoka by Shane Hawk

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

A 3 rating.  Some stories were higher some were just okay.  My favorite were Imitate and Transfiguration.  Very short book that is a collection of short stories (horror based).  Recommend for a quick read and if you like short stories. 
The Sons of El Rey by Alex Espinoza

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

I received this as an ARC. Story of Ernesto and Elena, Alfredo (Freddy) and Grace, and Julien.  Centers on the complicated relationship that Ernesto has with his wife Elena as he is becoming a lucha libre in Mexico.  As Ernesto lies dying in his old age the story shifts to Freddy and Julien trying figure out what they want to do with their lives.  The story definitely made me feel empathy toward the characters.  Might lean toward a 3.5 rating but at times I found myself struggling with sections.
The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg by Helen Rappaport

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challenging dark informative sad tense fast-paced

2.5

The book follows in detail the last week or so of the Romanovs.  There is background information scattered throughout as well.  Lots of information but delivered a bit on the dry side for me.  Recommend if you want to learn more about the final days of the Romanovs.  Not recommended if you want background on how they got to that point.
The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski

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

3.5

I got this as an ARC.  The story of 3 sisters (triplets) who are witches that can read people's future in tea leaves, hence the Crescent Moon Tearoom they set up in Chicago.  The story follows them as they must complete a task set upon them by the Witches Council while trying to figure out their own futures.  Recommend but more as a vacation read.