spootilious's reviews
123 reviews

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

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

2.0

 
Read: December 13, 2022 
Title: The Lost Apothecary 
Author: Sarah Penner 
 
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Rating: 2/5 
Review: 
I really wanted to love this book. I went into it excited about the history, adventure and the numerous female main characters. What was there not to love regarding a story about a woman who runs an apothecary that helps women murder men that have jaded them? 
 
First thing I noticed is that present day main character is extremely melodramatic and puts far too much of her self-worth on whether or not she can have a baby. Then Nella, one of the main characters in the late 1700s is mirrored in this… along with one of her clients. It felt as if each of these women portrayed themselves as useless if they could not have a child. I suppose this makes sense in the 1700s for the wealthy but rubbed me the wrong way. 
 
One the opposite side, every man in this story (with the exception of the bachelor that goes mud larking and the bookshop attendant (that may or may not end up murdered, so I rather not count him)) are all described in disgusting manners and are outright manipulative, feral, or aggressive. While I understand why this is the case I would have liked to see one (supporting) male character to cling to and be reminded that not all men are that terrible. 
 
I also found the story to be extremely predictable along with the ‘happy’ ending that felt far too unrealistic. It wasn’t HOW everyone was saved but rather that they were saved. I think the story would have had more substance if there were consequences to the actions of our main characters rather than these happy endings (specifically Eliza and Nella). 
 
Overall, the 2-star rating is taking into account that I can see why others like it. The premise is good, the message of choosing yourself, and your passion, over what society would force upon you is great. The book has a steady pace and is easy to read. Those that want to get into historical fiction or just enjoy slice of life reads would enjoy this. It is simply not for me. 
 
 
Quotes: 
N/A 
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I'm a Unicorn by Helen Yoon

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

 
Read: November 17th, 2022 

Title: I’m A Unicorn 

Author: Helen Yoon 

Illustrator: Helen Yoon 

Genre: Children’s Picture Book 

Rating: 4/5 

Review: 

This was such a fun story! I enjoyed every second of it! 

The illustrations were eye catching and absolutely adorable! 

The message of self-definition was great (though it could have dug a bit deeper than unicorn poop XD). 

Oh! And it’s basically a big poop joke which will definitely go over well with kids! 

It is also the perfect length to keep their attention. 

Love it! 

Quotes: 

N/A 

Jackaby by William Ritter

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

4.0

 
Read: November 15, 2022 
Title: Jackaby 
Series: Jackaby (Book #1) 
Author: William Ritter 
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Mystery 
 
Rating: 4/5 
 
Review: 
This book was pitched to me as ‘Sherlock Holmes meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. As a sucker for all things Holmes, I added it to my TBR. Though, now that I’ve read it, I would disagree with that pitch. The Sherlock Holmes bit is spot on, in fact, the author mentions Holmes (indirectly) as a sort of satire. But this book is less Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more… Fantastic Beasts. Which honestly, I couldn’t be happier about! 
 
This book was utterly delightful! One of my favorite reads of the year! 
 
It’s shorter than most books I read but I found that it didn’t drag on or rush in any places. The writing was consistence and engrossing. Ritter has beautiful imagery that I could spend all day devouring. 
 
I was a bit skeptical when I opened the book to find that it was in first person (which I’m a bit bias against) but was delighted when the writing style felt genuine and smooth; not to mention the main character was a strong female which made me immensely happy. A decently written woman at that. 
 
It was refreshing to see the platonic relationship between Jackaby and Rook, and the bashfulness of the romantic subplots (with other characters) were both a nice change of pace compared to modern Young Adult novels. 
 
The only real negative I have for this book is how supremely predictable it was. Other than that, strongly recommend! 
 
Quotes: 
“That the battles are usually in her head does not lesson the bravery of it.” 

“Monsters are easy… They’re Monsters. But a monster in a suit? That’s basically just a wicked man, and a wicked man is a more dangerous thing by far.” 

“This world is full of dragon-slayers. What we need are a few more people who aren’t too proud to listen to a fish.” 

Auntie Uncle: Drag Queen Hero by Ellie Royce

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inspiring lighthearted 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? No

4.5

 
Read: November 7th, 2022 (approximately) 
Title: Auntie Uncle Drag Queen Hero 
Author: Ellie Royce 
Illustrator: Hannah Chambers 
Genre: Children’s Picture Book, LGBTQIA+ 
 
Rating: 4.5/5 
 
Review: 
There is so much to love about this book, so I’ll just start off with the negatives: 
There isn’t a real climax to the book and it’s not very adventurous so its not one of the books that I could reread repeatedly and not get board of. 
 
Now for the positive: 
EVERYTHING! This book is practically perfect! It’s lighthearted but realistic. It’s fun and colorful, moving and heartfelt. It has LGBTQIA+ representation and acceptance. 
 
With such a great message and beautiful and fun artwork, this is definitely one of my favorite children’s books so far. 
 
Quotes: 
N/A 

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 
Read: November 7th, 2022 (approximately) 
Title: We Don’t Eat Our Classmates 
Series: Penelope Rex Book #1 
Author: Ryan T. Higgins 
Genre: Children’s Picture Book 
 
Rating: 3/5 
 
Review: 
The illustrations in this book are adorable. The dinos are so beautifully proportioned that I was immediately drawn in, despite the strange and quirky concept of eating children. 
 
There isn’t much to say about the story besides its empathetic message which is delivered in the typical method of having the main character experience what its like to be treated the way they are treating others. Overall, I wished it would have had a better turning point but it is written as well as many other books with the same message. 
 
Not one I could reread over and over but definitely a strong book. 
 
 
Quotes: 
N/A 

My Shadow Is Purple by Scott Stuart

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

 
Read: November 7th, 2022 (approximately) 
Title: My Shadow is Purple 
Author: Scott Stuart 
Genre: Children’s Picture Book, LGTBQ 
 
Rating: 4/5 
 
Review: 
My Shadow is Purple is an utter delight! 
 
The colorful and fun artwork is eye catching and the LGBTQIA+ Representation is always a plus. 
 
While I wish that there were more diverse shadows throughout the book, maybe hidden in the backgrounds or out of the corner of the main character’s field of vision (to hint that they were out there but that the protagonist just hadn’t found them). As it stands there were simply just blue shadows and 1 pink at the end. This isn’t a major complaint, simply a missed opportunity. 
 
The message of acceptance was handled well enough, and I was really happy to see that it wasn’t overthought or overdone (which can happen pretty easily when we forget that these books are written for children). 
 
The rhyming was spot on as well which is always a love of mine. 
 
Definitely a book I will be returning to often. 
 
 
Quotes: 
N/A 

Gold! by David Shannon

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lighthearted medium-paced

2.0

 
Read: November 7th, 2022 
Title: GOLD! 
Author: David Shannon 
Genre: Children’s Picture Book, Classic Retelling 
 
Rating: 2/5 
 
Review: 
GOLD! Is an adorable retelling of the classic myth of Midas. It’s simplistic writing is effective though the rhyming can be awkward at times and the ending is a bit abrupt/confusing. 
 
It was a fun little read with decent artwork and a good enough message. 
 
Might not be one of the books I revisit more than once or twice, however. 
 
Quotes: 
N/A 

The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

 
Read: October 30th, 2022 
Title: The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt 
Author: Riel Nason 
Illustrator: Byron Eggenschwiler 
Genre: Children’s Picture Book, Halloween 
 
Rating: 3/5 
 
Review: 
This was a very cute Halloween themed picture book. It checked almost every box with its cozy Halloween theme, a heartwarming message about uniqueness, adorable art work and a unique story premise. 
 
I will say that there is nothing really to pull in the reader, its not exciting or adventurous, and it’s not a story I would read year-round. However, I will no doubt be returning to visit our little quilt ghost around Halloween next year. 
 
Quotes: 
N/A 

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

2.5

 
Read: 11/3/2022 
Title: The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 
Author: Stuart Turton 
Genre: Murder Mystery/Science Fiction/Thriller 
 
 
Rating: 3/5 
Review: 
I am a sucker for a good murder mystery, and I suppose this book has all the makings of one with a bit of the supernatural sprinkled on top. 
 
That being said, I found myself dissatisfied at the end of this novel but probably not for the same reasons many other readers have that have rated this book so low. 
 
I find myself stuck between 2.5 – 3 stars for this novel. It has some wonderful qualities! The characters are distinct and likable (or loathe worthy depending on their role) and Turton occasionally has such beautiful prose that it takes my breath away. His twists and turns can be surprising and leaves the reader on the edge of their seat. 
 
But I suppose the thing I love most about this book is that it forces the reader to question what makes an individual themselves? Is the accumulation of our memories and experiences? Or is it something else entirely? The very core of ourselves that when stripped away of all experiences still remains exactly as it should? Is that core inherently good? Bad? Or perhaps neither? 
 
Regardless, I found many aspects of this book lacking. Turton (like many writers) suffers with inconsistency in his writings. There are many places where he embellishes scenery and emotion that could elevate this book to 'classic’ status, while falling flat in other places keeping it from that title. It’s as if he is so focused on setting up the chess pieces (pun intended) ‘just so’ in order for them to all fall into place at the end of the novel that he forgets that background matters. It feels like he gets excited for certain scenes and thus embellishes them wall others are used to simply fill in the gaps. 
 
There are moments, in which the author also seems to spell out details, reiterating them repeatedly as if waving them in front of the reader to make sure they realize it is an important clue, rather than trusting the reader to either take note or overlook the clue (which would cause a larger surprise at the end in my opinion). 
 
**Incoming Spoilers** 
 
||These two issues are minor things and are quite common, so I can not fault the author too much. No, the two issues that stood out to me the most were in regards to Ravencourt and the number of murders (outside of Evelyn) that occurred. 
 
The first thing noted about Ravencourt is just how fat he is. This is quite understandable and the first chapter he’s in handles it fairly well without being over the top. However, ever chapter following the first borders on fatphobic. Which the struggles of the obese man could still be portrayed without beating the reader over the head with how ‘disgusting’ he is or how others see him, or the way that he eats and being quite offensive (especially as someone who has been classified as obese in the past). Not to mention that when paired with the ‘rumors of young men’ employed by Ravencourt that is mentioned later in the book it demonizes both the fat and LGBTQ+ communities. 
 
Now, That being said. I doubt that Turton ever intended to do such a thing and probably didn’t notice. To be honest, very rarely have a seen a good representation of a fat individual. And obesity at Ravencourt’s level should not be glorified but it also should not be demonized. Regardless it did make it obvious that Turton is neither obese or part of the LGBTQ community. 
 
Lastly, by the end of the book, I was shocked to see that anyone was left alive in the house. Every turn was another murder to the point that it became overwhelming. At some point I felt that if the murder just poisoned all the liquor in the house it would have been much easier for everyone, including our protagonist. I suppose it fit the character in question considering they were ‘murder happy’ to begin with but… I dunno, so many murder felt overdone. || 
 
I can definitely see the influence of Agatha Christie in this novel and enjoyed reading it. I would most certainly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a complex (this being the key word) murder mystery. 
 
 
Quotes: 
“Anger’s solid; it has weight. You can beat your fists against it. Pity’s a fog to become lost within.” 

“How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?” 

“… bars can’t build better men and misery con only break what goodness remains.” 

“We are never more ourselves than when we think people aren’t watching.” 

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 
Read: September 8, 2022 
Title: Rhythm of War 
Series: Stormlight Archives #4 
Author: Brandon Sanderson 
Genre: Fantasy 
Rating: 3/5 
Review: 
Let me begin this by saying that despite the lower rating of this book, the Stormlight Archives as a whole is a wonderful series that I highly recommend. 
 
Now, getting into the nitty gritty: 
 
This book suffers from MAJOR middle book syndrome (which is sad considering that it’s not even the middle book). Rhythm of War such a wildly different feel than the rest of the series. 
 
While I adored the mental illness themes (which were handles quite well) I felt a bit blindsided by them. The issues had been mostly ignored through books 1-3 and then suddenly were a HUGE theme in ROW (even in the beginning chapters). Dealing with PTSD myself, I am happy to see such important topics being discussed but seeing a bit more of a build up would have been preferred. 
 
In addition, I feel as if a few of the main characters are pulling what I call a ‘superman’. ||Basically, when the character has no way out they suddenly discover a new ability. In the case of the ROW, they say a new vow.|| While this is not unusual and doesn’t make for a bad story I do find it a bit annoying. 
 
Lastly (for negatives regarding ROW), I have never been too fond of the flashback chapters of the Stormlight Archives, but in ROW they felt redundant. I will be the first to admit that I did not read these chapters all the way through. I skimmed most and TBH didn’t really miss anything of important. The chapters could have been completely omitted and the ‘big reveal’ with Venli’s character could have been explained to the readers when it was explained to Rlain and it would have made a better climax and (in my opinion) a better storyline for that character. These chapters made the book even longer than it needed to be (this coming from a woman who likes her book thiCC!). 
 
All of that being said I enjoyed ROW. Sanderson has amazing characters, and the world building is always phenomenal. In ROW we get to explore more of Shadesmare which is awesome! The Characters are always great, and the povs are spot on. The imagery is breathtaking. 
 
Overall, a solid book, despite being the weakest in the series. 
 
Quotes: 
 

“Our weakness doesn’t make us weak. Our weakness makes us strong. For we had to carry it all these years.” 

“No one ever accomplished anything by being content with who they were.” 

“Heroism is a myth you tell idealistic young people—specifically when you want them to go bleed for you.” 

“Who do you think is stronger?... The man who has walked easily his entire life, or the man with no legs? The man who must pull himself by his arms?” 

“When good men disobeyed, it was time to look at your orders.” 

“That's the point of having a monarch. A man to wallow in blood, to be stained by it and destroyed by it, so that others might not suffer.” 

“Simple affirmation could be worth more than medication.” 

“Integrity doesn't stop men from killing... It just makes them use different justifications.” 

“If you spend your life knocking people down, you eventually find they won't stand up for you. There's poetry in that...” 

“Places have power over us... Places have memories. Sometimes when you go to a place you've never been, it can be wonderful... because it lets you be someone else. No expectations. No storming memories.” 

“Time. It was a sadistic master. It made adults of children = then gleefully, relentlessly, stole away everthing it had given.” 

“There are no fair fights... There's never been such a thing. The term is a lie used to impose imaginary order on something chaotic.” 

“The best and truest duty of a person is to add to the world. To create, and not destroy.” 

“It's not such a terrible thing, to be too weak. Makes us need one another. I should never complain if someone recognizes their failings.” 

“It will get better. Then it will get worse again. Then better. This is life, and I will not lie by saying every day will be sunshine. But there will be sunshine again, and that is a very different thing to say. That is truth. I promise you.”