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caseythereader's reviews
1744 reviews
Fiasco by Constance Fay
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Bramble Romance for the free copy of this book.
- What a joy to be back with the crew of the Calamity! I love the people and the universe Fay has created with this series. It has interesting space politics, edge of your seat action, sharp banter, and some very spicy stuff: what more could you want?
- Cyn is a great prickly heroine. Her history makes it easy to understand why she doesn’t want to let people in, though of course her walls fall down anyway (this is a romance novel, after all!)
- I didn’t quite buy how quickly Micah trusted Cyn. That speed did keep the book from dragging in the middle though, so I’ll allow it.
- What a joy to be back with the crew of the Calamity! I love the people and the universe Fay has created with this series. It has interesting space politics, edge of your seat action, sharp banter, and some very spicy stuff: what more could you want?
- Cyn is a great prickly heroine. Her history makes it easy to understand why she doesn’t want to let people in, though of course her walls fall down anyway (this is a romance novel, after all!)
- I didn’t quite buy how quickly Micah trusted Cyn. That speed did keep the book from dragging in the middle though, so I’ll allow it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood
But How Are You, Really by Ella Dawson
emotional
funny
reflective
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
Uglier by Kelly Vincent
Did not finish book. Stopped at 51%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 51%.
Not that I wasn't enjoying this world, but I feel like I got a good enough sense of the book to not need to finish it, as it was getting a bit repetitive and tedious.
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Titan Books for the free copy of this book.
- I haven’t had as much fun reading a book as I did reading DREADFUL in a long time.
- It’s basically a silly cozy fantasy, poking fun at the tropes of heroes and dark wizards, with lots of misadventures along the way. It’s a little reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’s books with the way it goes over the top.
- I loved everyone in this world. I’d particularly love to see a book from the Mayor’s point of view running a town under a bumbling dark wizard. Basically, more of this, please!
- I haven’t had as much fun reading a book as I did reading DREADFUL in a long time.
- It’s basically a silly cozy fantasy, poking fun at the tropes of heroes and dark wizards, with lots of misadventures along the way. It’s a little reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’s books with the way it goes over the top.
- I loved everyone in this world. I’d particularly love to see a book from the Mayor’s point of view running a town under a bumbling dark wizard. Basically, more of this, please!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Ugly by Kelly Vincent
emotional
reflective
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
Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free copy of this book.
- UGLY and UGLIER are the first two books in Kelly Vincent’s The Art Of Being Ugly trilogy. The books follow Nic, a high schooler in a small town who doesn’t know what her identity is, just that she doesn’t fit the mold of the traditional Southern woman.
- I wanted to scoop Nic up and give her a huge hug. I very much related to the feeling that none of the available labels fit quite right, and shuffling through them in your head to try to find the right ones.
- It isn’t explicitly discussed, but Nic also reads as autistic to me, another reason that I was rooting for her to find her people.
- UGLY and UGLIER are the first two books in Kelly Vincent’s The Art Of Being Ugly trilogy. The books follow Nic, a high schooler in a small town who doesn’t know what her identity is, just that she doesn’t fit the mold of the traditional Southern woman.
- I wanted to scoop Nic up and give her a huge hug. I very much related to the feeling that none of the available labels fit quite right, and shuffling through them in your head to try to find the right ones.
- It isn’t explicitly discussed, but Nic also reads as autistic to me, another reason that I was rooting for her to find her people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet by Molly Morris
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
3.25
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free copy of this book.
- ANNIE LEBLANC IS NOT DEAD YET is an inventive, high concept YA novel: a magical town brings back one person from the dead for 30 days every ten years. This year, Wilson gets to bring back her BFF Annie, who died by accidental drowning a few years ago.
- Despite the fantasy element, this book is really a coming of age character study. The central trio of friends were broken apart by Annie’s death, and now they’re forced back together as the clock ticks down.
- Unfortunately, I’m not sure the author pulled it off. It feels like Wilson hardly spends any time with Annie while she’s back. Even when they go out to parties together they’re often separated. And (SPOILERS!!) no one asked Annie what felt like the most obvious question to me until nearly the end of the book, and all the misunderstandings were cleared up in a matter of minutes once Annie answered it.
- ANNIE LEBLANC IS NOT DEAD YET is an inventive, high concept YA novel: a magical town brings back one person from the dead for 30 days every ten years. This year, Wilson gets to bring back her BFF Annie, who died by accidental drowning a few years ago.
- Despite the fantasy element, this book is really a coming of age character study. The central trio of friends were broken apart by Annie’s death, and now they’re forced back together as the clock ticks down.
- Unfortunately, I’m not sure the author pulled it off. It feels like Wilson hardly spends any time with Annie while she’s back. Even when they go out to parties together they’re often separated. And (SPOILERS!!) no one asked Annie what felt like the most obvious question to me until nearly the end of the book, and all the misunderstandings were cleared up in a matter of minutes once Annie answered it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Vomit, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Tor Dot Com Books for the free copy of this book.
- THE FIREBORNE BLADE is a compact novella with a fantastic story packed into it. Dragons! Lady Knights! Magic! Plot twists! Hints of sapphism!
- The story unfolds between accounts of other knights attempting to slay other dragons, which widened the world in an entertaining way rather than via information dump at the start of the book.
- It’s hard to discuss a novella with a plot twist without giving too much away, but know that I devoured this book and enjoyed every moment. I’m looking forward to reading more from Bond in the future.
- THE FIREBORNE BLADE is a compact novella with a fantastic story packed into it. Dragons! Lady Knights! Magic! Plot twists! Hints of sapphism!
- The story unfolds between accounts of other knights attempting to slay other dragons, which widened the world in an entertaining way rather than via information dump at the start of the book.
- It’s hard to discuss a novella with a plot twist without giving too much away, but know that I devoured this book and enjoyed every moment. I’m looking forward to reading more from Bond in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Translation State by Ann Leckie
adventurous
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Knife River by Justine Champine
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to the Dial Press for the free copy of this book.
- KNIFE RIVER is a murder mystery that’s mainly a character study of two sisters forced into a life they never wanted.
- I loved the dynamics in this book, with both sisters being prickly and loving in their own ways.
- There’s honestly so much at play in this book. Small towns, queerness, familial relations, leaving vs staying, being forced to grow up too soon. And all of this as the women begin to uncover what might have really happened to their mom all those years ago.
- Also, it isn’t named in the book, but Liz reads as autistic to me. I loved that Jess simply knew this was the way her sister was and met her there.
- I did figure out whodunnit before the end but not the how, and the how was so devastating I lost my breath for a moment.
- KNIFE RIVER is a murder mystery that’s mainly a character study of two sisters forced into a life they never wanted.
- I loved the dynamics in this book, with both sisters being prickly and loving in their own ways.
- There’s honestly so much at play in this book. Small towns, queerness, familial relations, leaving vs staying, being forced to grow up too soon. And all of this as the women begin to uncover what might have really happened to their mom all those years ago.
- Also, it isn’t named in the book, but Liz reads as autistic to me. I loved that Jess simply knew this was the way her sister was and met her there.
- I did figure out whodunnit before the end but not the how, and the how was so devastating I lost my breath for a moment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Cancer