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burntotears's reviews
604 reviews
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
I probably would have enjoyed this more if I actually enjoyed Shakespeare, but as someone who doesn't really, it was just under blowing me away. I figured basically everything out before it was revealed, but that's never an issue for me as long as I enjoy the characters. The problem I had here were the endless droning through the Shakespeare plays.
There were also a few word choices used that I thought were pretty strange for something in 2017, but were certainly more commonplace in the 90's. I'm not sure that realism to that extent is really necessary, though. I don't think it added to the narrative so much as jarred me from inside of it.
Hilariously, this reminded me of watching Dawson's Creek when I was younger and thinking "No one actually talks like this in real life". Even if they are enamored with the plays, I can't see people of their age spending their free time talking to each other through Shakespeare lines, but maybe I am just too far removed from the theater kid nerd to know.
There were also a few word choices used that I thought were pretty strange for something in 2017, but were certainly more commonplace in the 90's. I'm not sure that realism to that extent is really necessary, though. I don't think it added to the narrative so much as jarred me from inside of it.
Hilariously, this reminded me of watching Dawson's Creek when I was younger and thinking "No one actually talks like this in real life". Even if they are enamored with the plays, I can't see people of their age spending their free time talking to each other through Shakespeare lines, but maybe I am just too far removed from the theater kid nerd to know.
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This wasn't particularly surprising in most ways, but I still really enjoyed it. I predicted a lot of what happened, yet the characters were enjoyable and interesting enough that I never got bored with it.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
challenging
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The main thing that takes away from this being a five-star is the way that the underage relationship was handled. Even if Josie made advances on Walter, she was still a child. His response should have been "No." Just because she was not the unassuming person she portrayed herself to be, doesn't mean it negates his actions in the whole thing, which seems to be what most characters allowed themselves to believe when it came to light that she was a murderer.
Otherwise, I think it was a great book and while I had figured some things out, I definitely didn't expect thesecond ending .
Otherwise, I think it was a great book and while I had figured some things out, I definitely didn't expect the
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
challenging
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
I am not totally sure how far I got into this, but something about the language and the immaturity of the main character just didn't sit well with me. Seems like they are trying to cover some intense concepts, but with it being YA (New Adult), it just doesn't feel well executed.
Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Is this really pitched as an adult book? It's just a bunch of whiny, asshole teenagers who treat people like shit. I'm not terribly surprised I didn't like this because most books with fae in them just aren't appealing to read. The horrible, cruel fae just isn't something I find fun to read about, especially when they are meant to be romances.
The main character is mostly insufferable which makes it pretty hard to give a shit about what he's dealing with.
The main character is mostly insufferable which makes it pretty hard to give a shit about what he's dealing with.
The Relentless Legion by J.S. Dewes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
- 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
4.0
This was a good conclusion to the series. Maybe a little too neatly/easily tied up, but overall an interesting end to the story. I had a great time with this series, though I may be a little biased since I love Mass Effect and BSG and there are a lot of similar elements to this that are in those stories.