briipearl's reviews
641 reviews

Cute - but a few too many moving pieces to satisfy the whole. (I couldn't quite grasp where this one was headed or what the plot arc was trying to achieve.) The writing was an interesting mix of juvenile humor and bigger vocabulary - so, maybe a bit heavy for a young 4th grader but a bit immature for an advanced 6th grader? Hard to recommend an age group for this one. It was cute, however, and fun to read. I can see why it's a Mark Twain nominee for 2025.

I never liked Jane Eyre.

Call it snobbery - call it lack of appreciation for the finer things. Whatever you'd like to call it, I always disliked it. Going into this, I probably should've known better solely because of that correlation BUT I wanted to try Ironskin. Now, fans of the original Jane, you might truly enjoy this. The world building is actually quite fantastic. The steampunkish elements were riveting/broke the norm. The main characters were even interesting and likeable. I can't really give you a solid reason why this didn't hit home for me but I struggled a bit with it.

Maybe it's time to go back and reevaluate my opinion of Jane Eyre, though. Possibly that might make Ironskin ring a little more true?

Birthmarked was a mixture of disconnection and curiosity for me. I HAD to finish it based solely on the fact I was curious how it was going to play out - not necessarily because I was addicted to the story or the characters themselves. Harsh, I know. Ironically, my favorite part was the fact O'Brien showcased a MAJOR fault/problem in dystopian life:

Spoiler

Incest and/or inbreeding, the continuation of a society with minimal genetic variety

I mean, that is a pretty big deal. One of which I don't feel like gets mentioned enough in YA dystopia. That's just me though. Gaia and Leon's relationship leads me to the disconnected part - I liked both of the characters, I'm just not sure I liked them together. Maybe over time I will? I need some meat. Some potatoes. Get down to the nitty gritty and off the surface. Overall - I'm glad I stuck it out and finished it.

Such a wonderful mix of history, romance, fantasy, and emotion. I've never been a huge mermaid reader but this one sucked me in easily. Fama created creepy, beautiful mermaids who weren't cliche. The flashbacks were handled with eloquence and the history flows with absolutely no awkwardness. I figured out tiny parts as I went (and I wanted to scream at the MC to be a big girl and look at the facts) but overall I LOVED the mystery intertwined with self discovery and danger.

What an interesting, out-there surprise from Holmberg. I devoured this in one-sitting and what a roller coaster; I felt everything from comfort to confusion, laughter to melancholy. Holmberg's writing has a way of lilting - moving from one line to another gently and with ease. Her food descriptors >>> The balance of crazy vs. kind. It kept me hooked and filled the ache it had created throughout the pages in the end.