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owlsreads's reviews
3507 reviews
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
The star is for the illustrations and how they were incorporated into the story. Nothing else worked for me.
The pace was pretty inconsistent and I had a really hard time connecting to Inez and her character. It was obvious Ibañez wanted us to see her as a strong and determined person, but that wasn't well explored in the story when Inez kept getting herself into dangerous situations and then needing to be rescued by Whit.
The plot, overall, was predictable and there was a lot of characters jumping to conclusions with little evidence to substantiate their thoughts and decisions. The extremely vague world-building in regard to the magic didn't help with that at all. The romance was also reeeeeeally not my favorite.
The pace was pretty inconsistent and I had a really hard time connecting to Inez and her character. It was obvious Ibañez wanted us to see her as a strong and determined person, but that wasn't well explored in the story when Inez kept getting herself into dangerous situations and then needing to be rescued by Whit.
The plot, overall, was predictable and there was a lot of characters jumping to conclusions with little evidence to substantiate their thoughts and decisions. The extremely vague world-building in regard to the magic didn't help with that at all. The romance was also reeeeeeally not my favorite.
Heartless by Elsie Silver
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
Another fun read! I didn't quite know what to expect with the nanny trope since that usually icks me, but Elsie Silver developed that in a pretty great way. Willa and Luke always made me laugh and I liked how there were some teaching moments throughout the book. That was also a good way to approach the relationship between Willa and Cade and slowly build that up until they got together. Their overall communication with each other and how Willa always stood up for herself and was honest was also lovely.
Flawless by Elsie Silver
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Okay, this was pretty fun! I loved the banter and the antagonist-to-lovers dynamic between Summer and Rhett. Their relationship development was so damn satisfying, but I could have done without the angst around the third half of the book. Still, had a great time reading this and will continue with the series!
The Hunter by Tana French
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
An improvement over the first book! The mystery here was very engaging and I liked all of the subplots and how they were developed. French did a great job at writing Trey as a believable teenager who messes up sometimes and her relationship with her family. The twists here were also great and I loved how the ending wrapping things up.
Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 2 by Kamome Shirahama
adventurous
fast-paced
4.0
Okay! Turns out the plot went in a direction I really liked. The apprentices all working together and Coco, as determined as always, learning a little bit more about magic was lovely. The world-building also continued to expand and I liked the introduction of new characters and information about the forbidden spells.
Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
The writing is really not for me. I can't tell May and Gemma's voices apart and the pace is all over the place.
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Didn't know much what to expect of this book, but I had fun while reading it! I liked how Meyer introduced and developed the characters as well as the framing device of Serilda's stories. The romance was a bit too rushed for me, but not to the point where it bothered me much. The plot was also interesting if a bit predictable towards the end and it set things up rather nicely for the sequel.
We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian
dark
emotional
sad
I'm angry and sad.
Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 1 by Kamome Shirahama
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
This was pretty cute! I loved Coco and her enthusiasm about magic. Also very intrigued by the world-building here, especially the forbidden spells! I'm not sure about the ending of this first volume, though... guess I'll have to keep reading to see what happens :D
One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked this. The writing was incredibly off-putting at first with the different perspectives and it took me way too long to figure out how all characters interacted and existed, but once I got the hang of it? I couldn't put the book down!
The mystery plot was entertaining, if a little predictable in its twists. The conflict that interested me the most was between Ken and her headmates and how their relationship developed throughout the book. There was some mystery surrounding them that kept me engaged and that was one plot point that had a very satisfying conclusion.
The mystery plot was entertaining, if a little predictable in its twists. The conflict that interested me the most was between Ken and her headmates and how their relationship developed throughout the book. There was some mystery surrounding them that kept me engaged and that was one plot point that had a very satisfying conclusion.