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takarakei's reviews
486 reviews
Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I appreciated the premise, the found family, foster families, difficult past with parents etc. I don’t know a ton about child services, but the premise of two random people being paired together seemed a tad far fetched. And unfortunately the romance was lacking to me. I didn’t think there was quite enough build up or tension - yeah it’s forced proximity, but I felt the romance came out of nowhere. I actually think this book could’ve been longer (since I listened to this in basically one sitting). All of a sudden they were saying I love you without even having gone on a date or slept together?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
Minor: Domestic violence
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
I am obsessed with Laura’s character and I really identified with aspects of her personality. There were some just real good quotes about female rage, feeling othered, and life. The academic rivals to lovers I thought was well done with the appropriate amount of angst.
Slight pacing issues that dragged about 70-80% of the way through. The ending was both expected and unexpected in different ways.I didn’t trust Ms. D but then I was also unsurprised when she did not sacrifice Carmilla. However, I am still forming thoughts on the “villainess” of her character arc. She showed growth, but I guess I was expecting a bit more devastating ending, or at least more conflict between her and the girls?
🌶️4/5
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First and foremost I want to say that if you (like me) did not care for A Dowry of Blood - you might give this one a shot anyway!
I absolutely devoured this book. Almost read it in a day but ended up taking a little more time with it intentionally. Some beautiful writing and lush descriptions:
I absolutely devoured this book. Almost read it in a day but ended up taking a little more time with it intentionally. Some beautiful writing and lush descriptions:
Mississippi was a study in green, crawling with Spanish moss and bedecked with heavy-laden magnolia trees, but I never realized how many colors there were to be found in nature until that first fall in New England.
I am obsessed with Laura’s character and I really identified with aspects of her personality. There were some just real good quotes about female rage, feeling othered, and life. The academic rivals to lovers I thought was well done with the appropriate amount of angst.
Slight pacing issues that dragged about 70-80% of the way through. The ending was both expected and unexpected in different ways.
🌶️4/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
The teacher is the emotional abuse/toxic relationship w a student
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Ok the thing I appreciate about Hazelwood's books is they're not insta-love. This one actually brought me to a realization that the reason I probably enjoy enemies/rivals to lovers is because I prefer a slower burn and those plots take longer for the romance to solidify. The romance/relationship plot of this one is a bit predictable, but that didn't really detract from my interest in seeing how it played out. Levi has some great passages, despite this being one pov. I was a bit indifferent about Bee our main character though. Hazelwood also is good at the third act 'break ups' not being too over the top or drawn out. I was quite surprised by the other plotline (her science career) ending tho and that did feel a bit out of left field.
I was told to read this book because it has two vegan MCs, and I probably have only read a handful of other fiction books with a vegan character ever in my life. But I could tell that Hazelwood is likely not vegan herself, so some things seemed a bit stereotypical to me.
Queer side character rep. Bee's lab assistant Rosio (sp? I did audio) was honestly my fav character.
🌶️3.5/5 (this spice wasn't my fav)
I was told to read this book because it has two vegan MCs, and I probably have only read a handful of other fiction books with a vegan character ever in my life. But I could tell that Hazelwood is likely not vegan herself, so some things seemed a bit stereotypical to me.
Queer side character rep. Bee's lab assistant Rosio (sp? I did audio) was honestly my fav character.
🌶️3.5/5 (this spice wasn't my fav)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I highly recommend this version of Carmilla edited by Carmen Maria Machado who provides much needed historical context in the introduction and with footnotes throughout. It's also a beautiful edition with a few illustrations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Racism and Sexual content
Time to Shine by Rachel Reid
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.5
- hockey romance
- teammates
- forced proximity
- queer discovery
- opposites attract
Casey is the most golden retriever character I've read. But also, a bi-king! Landon's journey was also so heartwarming to read, he is definitely on the ACE spectrum of sexuality. Holiday romance, but not centered on the holidays (more-so hockey season). Just a really wonderful queer romance!
🌶️4/5
🌶️4/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
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? It's complicated
3.5
I hate to be a downer, but this was just a bit too whimsical for my taste... I think I'm just not a cozy fantasy person. The humor was trying a bit too hard and made me cringe. I also wasn't into the fourth wall breaks. Then the narration from Hoid really irked me at parts. Sanderson says he wanted to write a book from Hoid's pov before writing more from that character, but I don't understand why he had to be the narrator for Tress' story. I think the story overall would've been more impactful from a nameless narrator, a more traditional third person pov.
Unfortunately me knowing going into this that Sanderson was inspired by The Princess Bride was a detriment for me, because it's one of my all time fav movies, so I couldn't help compare too closely. I recognize that's unfair and my own issue. He says he wrote it as "if Buttercup had gone searching for Westley" - I personally read it as if Tress was Westley when he goes away and becomes the Dread Pirate Robert.
I did grow to love the cast of characters on the ship. There was great deaf representation! The world building is really interesting and unique. This is my first Sanderson book, and I've been assured it's very different from his other books. I plan to start the Stormlight series this year and look forward to what I'm hoping is a more straightforward epic high fantasy series.
Unfortunately me knowing going into this that Sanderson was inspired by The Princess Bride was a detriment for me, because it's one of my all time fav movies, so I couldn't help compare too closely. I recognize that's unfair and my own issue. He says he wrote it as "if Buttercup had gone searching for Westley" - I personally read it as if Tress was Westley when he goes away and becomes the Dread Pirate Robert.
I did grow to love the cast of characters on the ship. There was great deaf representation! The world building is really interesting and unique. This is my first Sanderson book, and I've been assured it's very different from his other books. I plan to start the Stormlight series this year and look forward to what I'm hoping is a more straightforward epic high fantasy series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Gore, Slavery, and Vomit
This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
I'm sad that I really wasn't feeling this sequel. It felt very repetitive of the trope from book 1? I might decide to come back and finish it eventually, but not now.
Amor Actually by Adriana Herrera, Sabrina Sol, Diana Muñoz Stewart, Mia Sosa, Priscilla Oliveras, Alexis Daria, Zoey Castile
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
(some spicy) holiday short stories. I personally realized I just do not like romance short stories because I’m a slow burn stan, which is the antithesis of short stories. I did enjoy some of the stories and characters so far but generally I ran out of time and interest
🌶️5/5 (not all stories are spicy/open door)
🌶️5/5 (not all stories are spicy/open door)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
funny
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
2.5
When I first started this I didn’t know anything going in and so I was excited to be getting like a Groundhog Day, family vacation home in the balance, childhood friends to lovers. Plus set during the holidays. That was all great and funny at parts, but the third act “break-up” was literally so dumb it ruined the entire book. Jeremy does not deserve Mae, she can do better.
🌶️3/5 (Also the spice was meh)
🌶️3/5 (Also the spice was meh)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Car accident
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Initially I was intrigued by the beginning of the book, it was relatively fast-paced and the world was interesting. However by 25% in the pacing really slowed down and got very info dumpy. It really lost me in distinguishing itself from other Chinese mythology based books I've read, which is a shame because I think there was a lot of potential for this to be something unique.
Really it was reading so much like a YA version of The Poppy War that it was a bit jarring to me the amount of similarities. That's fine if you're looking for a YA TPW, but personally I am not.
Really it was reading so much like a YA version of The Poppy War that it was a bit jarring to me the amount of similarities. That's fine if you're looking for a YA TPW, but personally I am not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment