illtakethenightshiftx's reviews
182 reviews

But How Are You, Really by Ella Dawson

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emotional reflective medium-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

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Charlotte Thorne is a burned out, 20something, ‘disaster bi’ who has to go back to college for graduation weekend for work because her boss is the commencement speaker. Commencement also coincides with her 5-year college reunion and some familiar faces pop back into her world.

As a burned out, 20something post-grad who is trying to just survive without completely losing it and myself, I relate to Charlotte on so many levels. Working jobs you don’t love, losing interest in hobbies, losing touch with close friends - it’s all so real. Charlotte also experienced an emotionally abusive and toxic relationship during her college years that is eerily similar to the one I was in during my latter college years. Dawson does paints an incredibly realistic picture of what happens when you slip back into the role you person played during the relationship and how you fall into patterns of abuse in other ways. The conversations Charlotte had with her friends were almost carbon copies of conversations I had with some of my closest people. I don’t think I’ve seen parts of myself represented on a page this closely, ever.

Charlotte’s reflections on her sexuality were extremely thought provoking and gave me a lot to think about on both personal and larger levels.

Reece (out love interest) was sweet (almost too sweet?) and watching them meet each other all over again helped to lighten the underlying heaviness of the narrative. 

I had some issues with the pacing and some of the characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out in terms of their relationship to Charlotte given that it was frequently mentioned that they were her best friends. Also, I would’ve loved to see more of Jackie and Charlotte and how their friendship evolved over the years! Jackie rules!!!

I related to Charlotte more than I expected to and I’m so grateful that I was approved for the ARC. Yes, I already preordered a copy to have & hold forever!!!
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Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I really wanted to enjoy this more, but it fell a bit flat for me. I loved the concept, the creepiness factor, and the tasteful gore. I read a *lot* of vampire fiction when I was a tween/teen and I liked how Thirst didn’t abide by all of the traditional rules of vampire lore. It felt like a fresh take on a classic in many respects.
I found the first person POV a bit limiting and it’s generally not my speed, but I completely understand why the author chose it. It keeps the story extremely intimate and it gets the reader into the characters’ heads. 
The first chunk of the book felt a lot slower than the second and it took me a while to be completely invested in the story. The final third was the best part, especially when everything finally came together. (No spoilers here, but it was really good!!)
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A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

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emotional medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

5 stars, no notes (full review coming soon)
Spoiler: I cried…A LOT
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

I’m so in love with the world and characters Becky Chambers created. They’re all learning and they’re so much more than meets the eye with everyone on every planet. Reading this book (and A Closed and Common Orbit) feels like reading Murderbot and The Locked Tomb smashed together (minus the classic TazMuir gaslighting, gatekeeping, and girlbossing LOL)

All of these characters are special to me but Kizzy and Sissex hold special places in my heart. Kizzy’s fearless love for her family and friends is infectious and I absolutely love the way she interacts with the rest of the crew. And Sissex?! There’s not enough space in this caption to go into it but she is so near and dear to me
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

Cute! Stakes were nonexistent and there wasn’t enough for me to grab on to in order to enjoy the story. The side characters were absolutely wonderful and the main reason I read until the end.
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Outlawed by Anna North

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

2.0

Great concept, terrible execution. This is a book, that exists, that people can read, even though it feels like a draft.
Outlawed is the most boring book I’ve read this year. The characters aren’t fleshed out an Ada is a one-trick pony narrator. The characters had so much potential to be great, but they never had enough page time to make an impression. Also, there are simultaneously too many and not enough characters? What?!

There’s so much potential in this book, but it falls completely flat for me. 
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Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This scratched my Murderbot itch and it was a great story, but I wish I read this before Network Effect.
*more fleshed out review coming soon
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir

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adventurous funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This filled the TazMuir void in my heart and scratched an itch for a fun fantasy book with stakes that aren’t super high, but higher than a “cozy fantasy.”
In class is Muir fashion, the writing is whip-crack smart and funny with lovable characters who learn to be the best versions of themselves. If you want a quick story about a princess locked in a tower and her adventures with her fairy friend, this is a novel for you!
(It was also really refreshing not being gaslit throughout an entire TazMuir book LOL)
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The One True Me and You by Remi K. England

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This was the sweetest, most heartfelt book I’ve read in a long time!!! I cried, I kicked my feet, I yelled with joy, and felt every emotion the characters felt so deeply. This hit me a lot more than I anticipated and it was just so GOOD!!! YA, romance, and the intersection of those genres aren’t what I reach for, but Vico Ortiz reading sold it for me. 
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Burn the Negative by Josh Winning

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The premise is very cool and it starts off strong, but slowly devolves into something borderline unbelievable. I could see the author trying to do something with trauma and its effects, but it didn’t quite work for me. The horror elements and ‘scares’ were strong and did freak me out a bit. This book wasn’t for me, but I can see why folks like it.

(Also - I haven’t read a book written by a man about women in a while and I wasn’t a big fan…)
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