withlovesparrow's reviews
12 reviews

The Martian by Andy Weir

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This reads like a middle grade book. Everytime the main characters are met with a challenge, it's resolved in a matter of pages. Nothing feels high stakes despite what is at stake in the big picture of the plot. The plot armor is quite thick and after the second trial, it becomes obvious they won't find anything but success. It takes joy out of the journey.

The romance also feels unnecessary. It becomes a key plot point, but then nothing happens with it? The resolution feels like a non-ending.

The ending in it's entirety also felt unsatisfying. Everything reverts back to how it was before with flimsy promises for growth from two key characters. Everyone goes their separate ways. There's a line to allud that FMC is getting her wish, but wasn't love supposed to be her true desire based on her internal monolouge?

I had high hopes for this going into it based on the mythological blend with historical fiction. I would recommend What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez if that's what you're after.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

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challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced