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caseythereader's reviews
1744 reviews
We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Thanks to Nancy Paulsen Books for the free copy of this book.
- WE SHALL BE MONSTERS is Frankenstein by way of Indian mythology, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
- The characters are all multilayered and morally gray, each chasing their own goals and giving us a few good plot twists along the way.
- I enjoyed how the further we got into the the book the more detailed the world of the story became. More information and backstory was unspooled at just the right rate, and the ending left me excited for the sequel.
- WE SHALL BE MONSTERS is Frankenstein by way of Indian mythology, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
- The characters are all multilayered and morally gray, each chasing their own goals and giving us a few good plot twists along the way.
- I enjoyed how the further we got into the the book the more detailed the world of the story became. More information and backstory was unspooled at just the right rate, and the ending left me excited for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free copy of this book.
- This book is a delight. If you are into the cozy fantasy genre, THE SPELLSHOP is a must. What’s not to love about a rogue librarian, an anxious spider plant, and an attractive merhorse herder, along with the rest of the island’s inhabitants?
- I also liked the conversation layered into the story about whether libraries are for keeping information from or sharing it with the people.
- I read the audiobook, and narrator Caitlin Davies is super engaging, managing to do slight voices for each character without making it cartoony (even when said character is a sentient plant).
- This book is a delight. If you are into the cozy fantasy genre, THE SPELLSHOP is a must. What’s not to love about a rogue librarian, an anxious spider plant, and an attractive merhorse herder, along with the rest of the island’s inhabitants?
- I also liked the conversation layered into the story about whether libraries are for keeping information from or sharing it with the people.
- I read the audiobook, and narrator Caitlin Davies is super engaging, managing to do slight voices for each character without making it cartoony (even when said character is a sentient plant).
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent
Please Stop Trying to Leave Me by Alana Saab
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 37%.
This is just going in insufferable circles.
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Classism
Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thanks to Tor Dot Com Books for the free copy of this book.
- Do you ever read a book and you absolutely could not explain what happened but you loved it, five stars? That’s RAKESFALL for me. It took me thirty or forty pages to grasp what was happening, but after that I was locked in.
- Truly, I can’t explain much more than the synopsis gives you. Each section of this novel is a glimpse at these two souls in a different life, so the book swings wildly around various settings and premises, leaving you to guess at everything from where we are to who is who to what threads connect the vignettes.
- The prose, however, is take your breath away stunning. I could not put this down, even when I was confused. I learned a lot of new words and was happy to just let the beauty wash over me.
- Do you ever read a book and you absolutely could not explain what happened but you loved it, five stars? That’s RAKESFALL for me. It took me thirty or forty pages to grasp what was happening, but after that I was locked in.
- Truly, I can’t explain much more than the synopsis gives you. Each section of this novel is a glimpse at these two souls in a different life, so the book swings wildly around various settings and premises, leaving you to guess at everything from where we are to who is who to what threads connect the vignettes.
- The prose, however, is take your breath away stunning. I could not put this down, even when I was confused. I learned a lot of new words and was happy to just let the beauty wash over me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
IDK, I was just kind of bored by it. Read closer to middle grade than YA.
The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content
Moonbound by Robin Sloan
adventurous
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thanks to FSG Books for the free copy of this book.
- MOONBOUND is set in the same universe as my beloved MR. PENUMBRA’S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE but this time we’re far into the future and humans have lost a battle with dragons that now live on the moon.
- I loved Ariel and pretty much every character we encountered throughout the story. Sloan is so good at mixing heart and humor that absolutely everyone is lovable.
- This book starts off strong with an intriguing premise and lots to say about narrative and archetypes, but as we reach the second half it begins to drag and become overly convoluted. Still, many ideas and images from this book are going to stick with me.
- MOONBOUND is set in the same universe as my beloved MR. PENUMBRA’S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE but this time we’re far into the future and humans have lost a battle with dragons that now live on the moon.
- I loved Ariel and pretty much every character we encountered throughout the story. Sloan is so good at mixing heart and humor that absolutely everyone is lovable.
- This book starts off strong with an intriguing premise and lots to say about narrative and archetypes, but as we reach the second half it begins to drag and become overly convoluted. Still, many ideas and images from this book are going to stick with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: War