chattycabi's reviews
13 reviews

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Everything about this book is good. The plots fun, the characters are well-developed, the world building is interesting, the writing is great. And yet, I still can’t place why this wasn’t a five star read for me. It just didn’t capture me the way I wanted.  
Moonbound by Robin Sloan

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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

4.25

I was a big fan of Sloan’s last two books and this is wild departure from those. The world building is fun and the writing is good. But the plot was fairly flat. No high highs or low lows. Just a string of interesting events.

The references are fun though. It very much felt like reading a modern Ursula Le Guin book, which I mean as a compliment. 
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

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adventurous dark 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

4.5

Started off as 5 star read for me and then fell off in the last 40% of the book. Too many gratuitous smut scenes towards the end that overtook the plot and an ending that felt rushed into. That being said, I’m pre-ordering the sequel. 
Fourteen Days: A Collaborative Novel by The Authors Guild, Douglas Preston, Margaret Atwood

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

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lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

I was hooked from the opening paragraph. Margo is naive but clever and relatable. You want to root for things to go right for her. 
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

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emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

The main characters are delightful and you want them to get over their nonsense to get together. But there is both too much world building in some places and not enough in others. The book is about 60 pages too long in the middle. But the end will make you cry both happy and sad tears. 
Funny Story by Emily Henry

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Guarded, stable, predictable Daphne feels like every oldest daughter trying to keep it together. You’ll fall for adorable tattooed golden retriever boyfriend in Miles. You want to root for these characters to get their lives together. 
The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft

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funny lighthearted 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

Whimsical, charming, interesting. Different from your normal wizard fantasy books. Pacing is a little slower but that’s part of the charm.  
Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-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

4.5