pastelhellion's reviews
132 reviews

A Cover for Murder by Sue Minix

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adventurous funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

Jen is the dumbest smart person to exist, [said affectionately]. 

I look forward to the next instalment as Sue Minix's writing continues to improve. 
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

Finally Sally gets her own story! I absolutely loved this. A proper expansion into Halloween Town and the other realms, and giving Sally her agency. 

The themes of self-doubt and loneliness and of feeling like you don't quite belong, were so spot on. Highly recommend it! 
Silent City by Sarah Davis-Goff

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? No

4.25

So glad there was a sequel, to expand on this world!

Starts off with a time-skip which isn't my favourite thing, but I couldn't put it down otherwise. Looking forward to the next instalment (I hope!)
Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-Goff

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

4.0

Absolutely devoured this! Only missing marks because I wish there was more. Honestly would read a sequel expanding on the world - what exactly are skrakes, how did everything go to shit etc. There's definitely more questions here, but overall a tense page-turning read. 

(EDIT: Turns out there is a sequel! Adding to my tbr list lol)
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

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challenging dark 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? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Novelisation by Megan Shepherd

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

A gift given to me, otherwise I wouldn't have purchased. 

A fun read, but pretty much the movie without the songs. I'd recommend it as a buddy read for children to improve their reading and vocab though! 
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

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dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.75

Everyone in this is awful and that's why I love them. A strange book full of freakish things, but I was hooked from the beginning. 
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

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

4.0

I don't quite have the words to describe this. Other than I couldn't look away from these 5 girls doomed to die but hoping that they'd be ok, that they got a happy ending. 

The choice to have the narrator as an anonymous voice of one of the neighbourhood boys really heightened the fact that, although the story was about the Lisbon sisters, we would and could never get that close to them. Beautiful and sad.
32 Fangs by David Wellington

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

A great ending to a great series! I'm sad to say goodbye to Laura Caxton & Justinia Malvern. 
Twenty-three Hours by David Wellington

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adventurous dark funny 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? It's complicated

4.0