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sophiesometimesreads's reviews
221 reviews
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
reflective
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
4.25
This was less plot driven and more character driven than Priory. Some storylines took me longer to get into than others. I was particulalry involved in Dumai's storyline, I thought it was the strongest of them all, but I did fall in love with all the characters by the end. I think this is definitely something to read alongside Priory, as it explains the origins to a lot of that action, and may feel a little empty or leave you wanting a bit more in terms of the resolution of you haven't or don't read Priory. Overall, I really enjoyed it but I think Priory was my favourite of the two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
The Upwelling by Lystra Rose
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
There were parts of this I really enjoyed, particularly the immersion into Yugambeh indigenous culture and exploration of life in what we now call Australia before invasion and colonisation. And that last page! It's living in my head rent free. In saying this, I felt there were some parts that could've been better, such as more fleshed out characters and better pacing (particulalry through the middle and the resolution of the conflict). I also wasn't particularly invested in the romance, which took up a bit of time in the second half, which may have been why the pace felt a bit slow for my liking.
Overall, I would recommend this as a novel with fantasy elements that explores First Nations culture, history and experiences. The downfalls, in my opinion, are understandable for a debut novel, so I would be interested in reading another by this author in the future.
Note: I debated giving this a higher rating, understanding that we don't have as much First Nations fiction as we should, but I decided to go with my gut feeling at the end. Anything 3 stars or above is a good rating to me, and means I enjoyed the book and would recommend.
Overall, I would recommend this as a novel with fantasy elements that explores First Nations culture, history and experiences. The downfalls, in my opinion, are understandable for a debut novel, so I would be interested in reading another by this author in the future.
Note: I debated giving this a higher rating, understanding that we don't have as much First Nations fiction as we should, but I decided to go with my gut feeling at the end. Anything 3 stars or above is a good rating to me, and means I enjoyed the book and would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Death of parent
Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love Nick, Charlie and the Paris Squad so much 🥹
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
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
3.5
I had an overall enjoyable time with this and really liked the backdrop of STEM and academia in this book. I liked Olive's personal journey, but the romance felt a bit cheesy at times (particularly towards the end) and the miscommunication (if you can call it that?) felt like it went on a little too long for my liking. The writing style was fun and laid back for the most part, but there were some repetitive components to it that I couldn't overlook, for example I think we got told that Adam is huge or tall at least five times in the first chapter or two. In saying this, I think I'd be interested in reading more from Ali Hazelwood, particulalry because this is her debut and others have said her writing improves from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual harassment
The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass
dark
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.0
I had a decent time with this overall but I found that it's strength lay in the characters over the storyline. The storyline was relatively simple, I wasn't surprised by the twist or thrown off too much by the red herrings, so as a thriller I found it just alright. But I did really enjoy the characters and their arcs through this book, particularly Grace. By the end, I felt really connected to them and was emotional at the endings of their arcs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
adventurous
emotional
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
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, with it's beautiful, lush prose, in-depth world building and politics, and complex, flawed characters. I definitely feel as if a re-read is on the cards at some point, perhaps once the whole series is out, so I can really get everything out of this book, from the imagery and symbolism of fire and flower, to the depth of the characters and their relationships. I'm definitely reading the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Blood and Pregnancy
The Dos And Donuts Of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.25
I had a blast with this, I loved it! I was a little more invested in Shireen's personal journey than the romance though, but the romance was cute! I also enjoyed the baking aspect of this, and the representation was great - queer MC/SC, Bengali MC, Taiwanese SC, fat MC, hijabi SC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Racism
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli, عدنية شبلي
dark
emotional
informative
sad
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? N/A
5.0
Wow, so short but so powerful. A very important read that shows the reality of Israeli occupation on Palestine and gives a glimpse into how this impacts the lives of Palestinians. I think this story really speaks for itself and needs to be read to understand it's full gravity, I have no worsa to sum it up except for those in the first sentence. I would definitely recommend this read to everyone, particulalry now, given the recent surge in coverage of the situation in Palestine and Gaza.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Murder
Moderate: Rape and War
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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
I am not okay. I procrastinated this for a year in anticipation of that ending and cliffhanger, and I've just been told I still have to wait until early 2025 for the next one? The wait will be worth it but it's going to be painful!
This book was so good. I love Tracy Deonn's writing, and she has managed to craft such an intricate fantasy world where everything works and makes sense, whilst also shining a light onto real-world problems and historical happenings and injustices.
This book was a little slower paced than the first, which was to be expected from the second book in the series, but I felt like there was enough little action scenes sprinkled through the first three quarters of this book to keep the momentum up and keep me interested. I was also just so invested in the characters, particulalry Bree, that it drove me through the slower paced parts.
The ending was definitely the best part of this book, and I am still reeling (it's been over a week now since I finished it!). I'm so intrigued and excited to see what comes next. AND it's going to be four books now not three, so I get to live in this wonderful world with these characters I love for longer.
This book was so good. I love Tracy Deonn's writing, and she has managed to craft such an intricate fantasy world where everything works and makes sense, whilst also shining a light onto real-world problems and historical happenings and injustices.
This book was a little slower paced than the first, which was to be expected from the second book in the series, but I felt like there was enough little action scenes sprinkled through the first three quarters of this book to keep the momentum up and keep me interested. I was also just so invested in the characters, particulalry Bree, that it drove me through the slower paced parts.
The ending was definitely the best part of this book, and I am still reeling (it's been over a week now since I finished it!). I'm so intrigued and excited to see what comes next. AND it's going to be four books now not three, so I get to live in this wonderful world with these characters I love for longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
This was actually my second time reading this (or maybe third?), the first being a long time ago, around when the books initially came out.
It still holds up today. Amazing, three-dimensional characters, an intricate dystopian world, super high stakes. It balances being YA and outlining the horrors of kids being forced to kill other kids. To be honest, I think it hit me harder now that I'm older and you truly realise how young people 12 to 18 are.
An amazing book that will hold up for years to come, and has some really interesting themes and discussions that stay relevant to this day.
It still holds up today. Amazing, three-dimensional characters, an intricate dystopian world, super high stakes. It balances being YA and outlining the horrors of kids being forced to kill other kids. To be honest, I think it hit me harder now that I'm older and you truly realise how young people 12 to 18 are.
An amazing book that will hold up for years to come, and has some really interesting themes and discussions that stay relevant to this day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gore and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts