How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
3.5 stars, rounded down
This was a sweet story, the premise was very interesting and originaHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
3.5 stars, rounded down
This was a sweet story, the premise was very interesting and original, not sure I've heard anything like it before. But the execution could have been stronger. I do realize this is a middle grade book, but I've read many middle grades that were very strong in prose and plot. This one was fine, but felt more like a novelette - very short, things develop very fast, not much depth at all.
I also didn't love the dialogue - I don't know what it was about it, but either the author or I don't know how kids talk these days, cause it didn't feel like that's how they talk (hey, it could always be me who doesn't know, I don't spend a lot of time with kids). Either way, the dialogue didn't feel very natural, and the teenage characters and their motivations sometimes even more so.
But I did like the story, I LOVED the cover and I also liked the moral of the story as well. Actually just watched the movie Barbie a couple of days ago, and I felt like this book also had a lot of the same points to make, which was great.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
What stunning artwork! A really short read, but I can't wait to see the next one. This part is like a short glimpse into a really mysterious and very What stunning artwork! A really short read, but I can't wait to see the next one. This part is like a short glimpse into a really mysterious and very different world, but so little is given, it leaves you wishing for more. You'll want to find out how this world works - why do these people look mostly like humans but are not? Why do the real humans dissect, torture and even eat these human-looking characters who talk? Why is the world almost solely made of women? What are the two-tailed talking cats? So many questions, and quite little answers, so it just keeps you impatiently waiting for the next installment.
There's also an interesting point in this story. The fact that they call these pseudo-humans animals and eat them makes you wonder - is this a lot different from how we eat animals? If it makes it so fundamentally wrong to eat them if they talk, is it so much less wrong to eat them when they, well, moo and oink? Where's that line between life and consciousness, our right to manipulate it? All good questions.
Merged review:
What stunning artwork! A really short read, but I can't wait to see the next one. This part is like a short glimpse into a really mysterious and very different world, but so little is given, it leaves you wishing for more. You'll want to find out how this world works - why do these people look mostly like humans but are not? Why do the real humans dissect, torture and even eat these human-looking characters who talk? Why is the world almost solely made of women? What are the two-tailed talking cats? So many questions, and quite little answers, so it just keeps you impatiently waiting for the next installment.
There's also an interesting point in this story. The fact that they call these pseudo-humans animals and eat them makes you wonder - is this a lot different from how we eat animals? If it makes it so fundamentally wrong to eat them if they talk, is it so much less wrong to eat them when they, well, moo and oink? Where's that line between life and consciousness, our right to manipulate it? All good questions....more
I'm not sure where I got this book. Maybe it was a freebie? Just in case it's an old forgotten review copy, I'll leave a review. If it is that case, dI'm not sure where I got this book. Maybe it was a freebie? Just in case it's an old forgotten review copy, I'll leave a review. If it is that case, disclaimer: the books provenance did not affect my opinion. At the time of this review, it was free on the author's website for an email newsletter sub, so if you're interested, you can grab it too.
Anyway, what an odd story! I take it this is a parody of zombie/vampire/any other kind of dystopias/fantasy, as it was popular about the time it was written. Maybe it's even parodying RPG games a little bit? It's really light-hearted and full of black humor. The characters are not taking themselves seriously, and it's kind of funny to read. From how the characters come up, I feel that the author was indeed taking the piss out of the many similar fantasy dystopias at the time. Especially with how the world was manipulated - how the laws of physics change to set up the story and the characters just accept it. This is a common trick in books like that, which made me chuckle. And despite all that - the story had its serious moments, which, despite the lighthearted and playful style of the story, did seem to belong and move you as they were supposed to. The more I read this book, the more I enjoyed it.
So this story was definitely weird, but I have to say, I was very entertained, and I don't even normally like parodies. This book, while totally a pisstake at these kinds of stories, managed to actually involve you on its own, and be engrossing despite using half of the same bad tropes the stories it was parodying would use. I'm not even sure how the author pulled that off! It was a silly and fun read. Definitely a few evenings well spent.
Also, funny story. The book joked on how the main character would rather prefer catatonia to Dame Shirley Bassey, and that's how I discovered her amazing music. I find that just as hilarious as the book, and I'm happy to disagree with the main character's taste in music
Merged review:
I'm not sure where I got this book. Maybe it was a freebie? Just in case it's an old forgotten review copy, I'll leave a review. If it is that case, disclaimer: the books provenance did not affect my opinion. At the time of this review, it was free on the author's website for an email newsletter sub, so if you're interested, you can grab it too.
Anyway, what an odd story! I take it this is a parody of zombie/vampire/any other kind of dystopias/fantasy, as it was popular about the time it was written. Maybe it's even parodying RPG games a little bit? It's really light-hearted and full of black humor. The characters are not taking themselves seriously, and it's kind of funny to read. From how the characters come up, I feel that the author was indeed taking the piss out of the many similar fantasy dystopias at the time. Especially with how the world was manipulated - how the laws of physics change to set up the story and the characters just accept it. This is a common trick in books like that, which made me chuckle. And despite all that - the story had its serious moments, which, despite the lighthearted and playful style of the story, did seem to belong and move you as they were supposed to. The more I read this book, the more I enjoyed it.
So this story was definitely weird, but I have to say, I was very entertained, and I don't even normally like parodies. This book, while totally a pisstake at these kinds of stories, managed to actually involve you on its own, and be engrossing despite using half of the same bad tropes the stories it was parodying would use. I'm not even sure how the author pulled that off! It was a silly and fun read. Definitely a few evenings well spent.
Also, funny story. The book joked on how the main character would rather prefer catatonia to Dame Shirley Bassey, and that's how I discovered her amazing music. I find that just as hilarious as the book, and I'm happy to disagree with the main character's taste in music...more
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
This might be one of my favorite retellings now. It was very chill at first, and I thought How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
This might be one of my favorite retellings now. It was very chill at first, and I thought it would go on like that, but in the second part of the book, things just went wild and I never expected it. Everything slotted into place so well that by the end I'd decided that I'm going to give it 5 stars after all, and not the 4 I'd planned previously. It's a lovely story.
This book was very engrossing, and very emotional. It definitely transported me into a court full of intrigue and secrets. The plot is actually more serious than just a Cinderella story - I definitely enjoyed that. It was a quick read as well, just a couple of evenings and I breezed through the story.
The story had quite a lot of strong and capable female characters as well, and I loved that. I also know that I spent half the book trying to decide whether this is YA or not, and I don't think it is. While the main character is 18, I also think it's a little bit of an afterthought, because nobody else is - everyone else is a lot older, with a lot more baggage. (There is also a very open steamy scene, although that's not always an obstacle to YA.) And while it does have that YA dynamic, it's still sort of like a good mix between a YA and adult novel, if you know what I mean? Things are unfolding slower and in a less provocative manner than YA will usually have it, but it still has that sense of adventure that you look for in a good YA book, and it's also a retelling of a fairytale, which is often a thing you'll find in YA. Interesting format, and I liked it.
Definitely worth a read!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This was such a beautiful book. I stayed glued to the pages all day, and it's funny to admiHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This was such a beautiful book. I stayed glued to the pages all day, and it's funny to admit I feel this way about a middle grade book, while being a grown woman, but I read this as a thriller and it kept my palms sweating quite a lot. Not a thriller-thriller, of course, the topics are still middle grade, but oh my gosh, was it, well... thrilling!
First of all, the title of the book is... Well, let me tell you, you'll only learn why it's like that when you finish the book. I was puzzled about it the whole time, but when I reached the end? I thought it was pretty brilliant.
Another thing I liked about this book is that it goes deep into several things that are important for a middle grader to know - when an adult is gaslighting you, and when an adult is manipulating people for their own gain. It's also tied into discrimination and judging people based on prejudice, which was a companion theme in the story. Why I say it's important, is because the story teaches children to RECOGNIZE the signs of gaslighting and manipulation.
If anyone had told me what it's like to be manipulated or gaslighted by an adult as a kid? I know for sure some situations would have appeared differently. But children, especially young girls, tend to believe that literally everyone else's word will be taken before theirs is, and they're probably not even wrong, considering how society treats it. Therefore, they don't speak up - worse, they often think it's them who are in the wrong.
This book has a teacher who is clearly manipulating people and gaslighting the main character. When I look at it from my current perspective as an adult, it's painfully obvious. But if I were to look at it from the child's perspective, I know I wouldn't notice it, because I'd just implicitly trust the adults, or think I just don't know something. Therefore, it's incredibly valuable to read this and know what it looks like - and why it's bad when people do it. The author doesn't go into explaining what gaslighting is, but it's not necessary - it's just labelled as a behavior that's not good, and one you should be able to recognize and believe yourself, not the manipulator, which I think is enough for a child to know without knowing much about the terminology. I think it would be even better for this story to be read or at least discussed with parents or guardians, because then the reasons could be explained to the child reading this. It's an important life lesson, one that could prove incredibly valuable if learned early.
But even aside from that - the story is brilliant in its own right. Jaclyn Moriarty is wonderful with children's stories, she's a truly masterful writer. The world is very well built, and it's so colorful and imaginative. The story delves into more serious themes of forgiveness, parenthood, empathy and more. It's just such a brilliant read. I definitely recommend it, no matter whether the reader is an adult or a child or teen. I think everyone can take away something from it.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
I'm docking a star, because even though this is a book set in England's colonial past, it is also fantasy, and I don't think it was necessary to use tI'm docking a star, because even though this is a book set in England's colonial past, it is also fantasy, and I don't think it was necessary to use the language that was used to describe the people on the Indian colonies. If I was from India, I would be appalled reading it. Then there was all that business of stealing artefacts from other cultures. Also colonial history fact, but do we have to rub it in? Felt very tasteless.
I also found it odd that the characters referred to a woman becoming an actress as 'not being completely ruined'. Judging by the Victorian books I've read, and I've read quite a few, being an actress at the time was often thought to be pretty much a prostitute. I even remember being puzzled about it. So I was surprised to see this here.
Other than that... I love the characters, I love the overall story of the series, but this one was definitely weaker than the previous one. Nothing happened in most of the book. I thought I was in the first third based on what's going on, when I looked down into the corner of my Kindle to see that it's been 77% and nothing has happened yet. Not great. (view spoiler)[And then all of a sudden everything happened? I predicted it all as of book one, by the way. Low key surprised a lot of reviewers seem to be shocked at that ending :D (hide spoiler)]...more
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
Wow, this was a stunning graphic novel. I absolutely loved the art - beautiful, very detailHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
Wow, this was a stunning graphic novel. I absolutely loved the art - beautiful, very detailed style, and it's got the steampunk vibe down so right. It's gorgeous.
But that's not the only thing I loved about Lady Mechanika - often, these novels can be gorgeous, but not that involving. Not so with this one - hooked me on page one. It's easy to read and follow, and it's very engrossing.
A huge added bonus was the sense of humor too! Despite a rather heavy and dark plot, there is a lot of humor from certain characters, so it lightens the mood in darker places. It's just the right balance.
Some reviewers mention the oversexualized style, and I have to agree, that was something that bothered me somewhat (women are only a certain shape - wasp waist, huge breasts). But I do realize that's what sells in the Steampunk genre a lot of the time, so I didn't take away any stars for it. The story was still great itself, and the drawings amazing. However, if you dislike oversexualized style, then you might have an issue with it. The cover represents the style in the rest of the book, so decide based on that.
This tome included parts 0-5, and now I just can't wait to find some more.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
2.5 stars, rounded to 3
It's funny that Lemony Snicket's very praising review is the opener How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
2.5 stars, rounded to 3
It's funny that Lemony Snicket's very praising review is the opener of this book (at least my review copy, and I mean the praise page that often opens a book). Of course Lemony Snicket loved it! How could he not? Something about Rat Rule 79 is so much like his own books. I can't put my finger on it, but it feels like both the writing style, as well as the plot, has a lot of the same feel.
...Aaaand that's precisely why I didn't really vibe with this book. It was fine, and cute, but... There's just so much randomness. A lot of it barely made any sense, sometimes simply didn't. I don't enjoy that much randomness. (Or maybe I'm too adult and boring or something.)
I'm also sad to say that I didn't understand the point of the story or the ending. After finishing, I shrugged, backtracked and... Still didn't get it. What did I just read? I'm not sure what happened. I completely and utterly missed the whole idea :( (view spoiler)[What did happen to her mom? Where did she go and why? Was it because Fred was angry with her? But what did they resolve? Was it all a dream? What..? (hide spoiler)] Those are at least five or six questions after finishing the book, and I'm sure even more of them went unanswered.
But! Safe to say, if you loved Lemony Snicket's style, you will probably adore this book too. There are many people who did - so I'm assuming the rest of the reviews for Rat Rule 79 will be glowing! The book really is cute, the illustrations very unique and cool. The story was good too. And of course, the randomness - uniquely random. And - the author clearly has a lot of love for math, cause the story is sprinkled with a lot of very particular math facts, curiosities and details.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
4.5 stars, rounded to 5
I absolutely loved The Dreamweavers. A quick and satisfying middle-gHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
4.5 stars, rounded to 5
I absolutely loved The Dreamweavers. A quick and satisfying middle-grade fantasy read that is based on Chinese folk tales, great for the child and adult alike. What I particularly enjoyed was that the author entwined her own fantasy with tales told her by her grandparents, as the author was born in China herself. Any fantasy tale that’s steeped in the author’s own culture is usually well worth the read!
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
If you're thinking of getting this for a sensitive child, maybe read more reviews. This is How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
If you're thinking of getting this for a sensitive child, maybe read more reviews. This is not for sensitive girls. I was one and I'm telling you.
It's hard for me to rate this book - because while the aim is very good (to tell girls that they should trust themselves and educate them about the patriarchy and male privilege, and always think about whom the story serves), it's also laid on SO thick that nothing good ever happens in the story. And I mean it literally. It just keeps piling on top, and when you think it can't get worse, it just... Gets worse. It's like 1984, but for children and with more magic. And maybe some Handmaid's Tale in the mix. It's not a book about magic. It's basically a cautionary horror story.
It's so dark that by the time "the happy ending" arrives (literally at 95%), everything feels forced and unnatural. For a long time I thought this was book 1 in a series because even by 70% things just kept getting worse and I felt like the story was only setting up (but the story does wrap up, so it's not like that). By the time the ending arrived, I thought, alright - so you just spent the entire book telling me that the world is horrible, everyone is conspiring against the female population, and now suddenly poof! Everything works out and everyone believes their end of the story? Right.
The book is essentially about how uncomfortable women were accused of hysteria back in the day, and put in asylums, except with magic. That's a very good story to tell. The problem I had was not with the story or end goal - but rather, the way it was told.
I do understand criticism of the patriarchy, and I'm all for it, but this book just doesn't give ANY hope. It's all deeper and deeper gloom. The message to me felt like "you're a girl, so all the bad things will happen to you, and it's totally unfair, and it's not your fault, but literally nothing good can happen to you, and there's nothing you can do about it. Oh, and nobody will listen to you and they absolutely WILL tell you it's your fault." Huh. Inspiring.
I really hope I misread the message, cause the book deeply affected me. It simply depressed me. If I was a child, I would have felt like everyone's my enemy because I'm a girl. Maybe it's just me. I'm an adult, and after just finishing this book, I still feel like nobody's on my side. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the aim of the book.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from a publicist
2.5 stars, rounded to 3 (I believe it will appeal to the target audience of young boys much How I read this: Free ebook copy received from a publicist
2.5 stars, rounded to 3 (I believe it will appeal to the target audience of young boys much more than it did to me!)
My first review was a DNF. I am changing it now, because I was sent an updated version of the book - I unfortunately received a very unfinished pdf the first time round! This time I've read the actual final copy, so here we go.
David's brother is like Dexter from that cartoon about the kid with a laboratory from the 90's - he's a young genius scientist. And sadly, one day he disappears. David believes, it's through a device of his own making - one that allows him to travel anywhere, including other realities. But that doesn't make it easier living with the fact that now his brother's been gone for 5 years. And David keeps having the same horrible dream over and over again...
Then one day, he wakes up to a weird reality. And the next day, an even weirder one than that. Soon, some sort of time and reality authority shows up... And David's got to run for his own safety. But maybe that will lead to the resolution of the situation with his missing brother?
This story was sort of cute and definitely fun, a lot of adventure in there. But it's also pretty simple and straightforward. That's by no means a bad thing - and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it when I was 8-10. But not later than that, probably. Some middle grade fiction translates well into older ages, even for adults, but this one I'd say is strictly for kids. I think it may especially appeal to boys because of certain story elements (aliens, space cars, guns, explosions, genius boys, I could go on.)
The only thing I found weird was that adults were giving a middle grader guns and grenades. Even in a fantasy setting, that is unsettling for me. Again, probably meant to appeal to boys because of action stories and cartoons, and because it's not a real life setting. But still. There is also a lot of shooting and no asking questions. Wasn't a fan of that either.
There was another thing I didn't quite love about the story as well. David and his brother are geniuses, even as kids. But... I don't really like how it's presented. They "just do it" with any kind of tech, even alien tech that they've never seen, one look for one second - and it's "easy and figured out", and they can even make it better than the top minds of the world. Sure, it sounds fun, but... That's a huge misrepresentation of how "being a scientist / smart" actually works. Smart people don't just magically know stuff. Smart people have to learn a lot of things before they know stuff. It doesn't materialize in their heads, they just learn easier and faster, but it skill requires work and dedication. I don't like it when science smarts is presented as "that person was born that way", like anyone can be born with calculus and quantum mechanics in their head. Even Einstein and Newton had to work for years to figure those theories out. It will give the child heightened expectations and maybe even disappointment when he learns how life actually works. It's also a great disservice to scientists who worked their butts off studying nightly to get to where they are. Smarts are not magic. They don't just happen.
But that's just me, ranting! I graduated with honors in STEM, it wasn't a walk in the park, and I just get triggered by this sort of stuff. However, from a fantasy perspective, it does sound fun. Like Dexter's lab, you know? So I'm leaving it up to you to decide.
I thank the publicist and author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from author
I loved this book. It was fun, fast paced and full of action. It even broke my reading slump thatHow I read this: Free ebook copy received from author
I loved this book. It was fun, fast paced and full of action. It even broke my reading slump that I've had for a month or two. And not only that – I absolutely fell for the characters. What's more, this book is perfect for D&D lovers, cause there are just so many related Easter eggs for the reader.
There is something about getting attached to an imaginary universe, and I believe this is happening to me in regards to Arvia and its lore. Hazelhearth Hires Heroes is the third book set in this mythical place, and despite me not typically being overly fond of fantasy stories, I am head over heels for this series, because I just love returning there.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I have been waiting to read the last book of The Indigo Chronicles series for a while now. How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I have been waiting to read the last book of The Indigo Chronicles series for a while now. Three years I’ve been following this series, and I can’t say l’ve followed any other one like this – one by one, as the books come out. It’s an experience like no other, and I certainly enjoyed it – incredibly. Children of Shadows was an amazing end to a truly epic series!
The book was a whirlwind. NJ Simmonds is amazing at writing family drama – that’s for sure. The series kept me on my toes, and in some places surprised me with its depth – the patriarchy issue being highlighted, the history of witches, and the complexity of some characters – ones you’d expect to be black or white, but instead, they’re a mixture of both, acting out on both sides, showing one or the other based on their histories. I got greatly attached to some of the characters and truly invested in their stories. These books were quite a ride and I would expect this series to become a best-seller. It will give you a great time!
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from a publicist
ParaNorthern was a treat from the very first pages: ✔️ diverse characters ✔️ witchy MC ✔️ gorgeHow I read this: Free ebook copy received from a publicist
ParaNorthern was a treat from the very first pages: ✔️ diverse characters ✔️ witchy MC ✔️ gorgeous fall colors ✔️ cozy and wholesome friendship ✔️ CHAOS BUNNIES
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This is perfect for fantasy fans who are also in love with cats. The drawing style is increHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This is perfect for fantasy fans who are also in love with cats. The drawing style is incredible, and the drawings are superb, as is the coloring. But the storytelling fell a little short for me. I kind of wanted more cat! And it was a little choppy. But the stories are definitely fun, and at the end they finally come together into what is promising to be a plot for the later parts of the series.
And yes, the cat character is absolutely adorable!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Evelina | AvalinahsBooks
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