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bella613's reviews
250 reviews
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Lore Olympus, Season 1 by Rachel Smythe
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Ok preface to the review: this is a re-read from years ago. Lore Olympus was my first webtoon, and the comic that I attribute to getting me into all things webcomic, as well as my first real Greek mythology retelling (so I knew little to nothing about the lore, pun intended lol)
This is a great webtoon, but I think I can say that it's not really my favorite art style now, and more slow moving than I prefer my webcomics these days. It's also just ~not that deep~ and while it handles some tough subjects(rape, trauma, confinement and even being eaten by a parent) in a respectful way, it also doesn't do much with those subjects. If I remember correctly, season two goes further into that especially kore's rage, but for me this didn't hit nearly as hard with the re-read and I don't feel super satisfied with it. I do like it and would recommend it with TW. I'm rating it 4☆ but when I first found it (circa 2018 idk) I def would have done a full 5.
I will say, knowing a (little) bit more about Greek mythology now I really do love how Rachel Smythe does the modernization, and I think she takes enough liberty to make it a story entirely hers while also including important "canon" details (can you call it that in this case?) I LOVE her Eros and Hecate. Sometimes Persephone is too much of a cinnamon roll to take seriously and the one thing I don't love about it is the leaning into her little girl innocence and making it a daddy trope. We obviously can't ignore the nearly 2000 year age difference, or the problematic parenting of Demeter, but do we need to exaggerate her schoolgirly-ness?
This is a great webtoon, but I think I can say that it's not really my favorite art style now, and more slow moving than I prefer my webcomics these days. It's also just ~not that deep~ and while it handles some tough subjects
I will say, knowing a (little) bit more about Greek mythology now I really do love how Rachel Smythe does the modernization, and I think she takes enough liberty to make it a story entirely hers while also including important "canon" details (can you call it that in this case?) I LOVE her Eros and Hecate. Sometimes Persephone is too much of a cinnamon roll to take seriously and the one thing I don't love about it is the leaning into her little girl innocence and making it a daddy trope. We obviously can't ignore the nearly 2000 year age difference, or the problematic parenting of Demeter, but do we need to exaggerate her schoolgirly-ness?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Liked it, good myth retelling. Definitely for you if you like spicy books. This one does paint Persephone in an immature/naive light well. That's normal for her character but I feel like this one doesn't idolize her and shows it maybe a little more realistically.
Hecate is my favorite goddess as usual (I really need to find a book with her as the main character)
Hecate is my favorite goddess as usual (I really need to find a book with her as the main character)
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Highly recommend this book!
I cried so hard. This one is a lot to handle but it's so worth it. I feel like I learned more from it as well- even though it's fictional, events that happen are based on real things.
I picked up this book because I saw somewhere that Zoulfa Katouh is ARMY and that sparked my interest. The audiobook doesn't include her acknowledgments, and honestly I want to buy this book in print eventually because I want it in my personal library.
This is a beautiful, heartfelt, raw work of art. I'm glad I read it.
I cried so hard. This one is a lot to handle but it's so worth it. I feel like I learned more from it as well- even though it's fictional, events that happen are based on real things.
I picked up this book because I saw somewhere that Zoulfa Katouh is ARMY and that sparked my interest. The audiobook doesn't include her acknowledgments, and honestly I want to buy this book in print eventually because I want it in my personal library.
This is a beautiful, heartfelt, raw work of art. I'm glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy
Spells For Forgetting by Adrienne Young
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
This one's a heartwarming, hopeful story and very poetic. The main reason it doesn't get a full five stars is that it was a little slow at times and pretty obvious what was going on, so it was a little frustrating that the characters didn't figure it out sooner. But the message and undertones are so wonderful that I really enjoyed every minute of it.
Survival Log by e_no
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was intense and gruesome and I loved it. Very easy to hate some characters and love others, even if all of them have their reasons for their (mostly bad) decisions. The art is great and the ending is superbly disturbing. Loved the song in the last two episodes as well!
I do tend to rate webcomics slightly differently than books-- If this was a novel without illustration it wouldn't be that high. But I enjoy webtoons a lot and have a ton of respect for the creators of webcomics in general knowing how much work it is.
I do tend to rate webcomics slightly differently than books-- If this was a novel without illustration it wouldn't be that high. But I enjoy webtoons a lot and have a ton of respect for the creators of webcomics in general knowing how much work it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Medical content
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
I'd recommend the audiobook! Love "Read by the author" memoirs and Rob Lowe does a great job. Because of my age, my first exposure to Lowe was Parks and Rec and I still haven't seen West Wing or The Outsiders, so it may have been more impactful if I had prior knowledge of his early career.
The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was pretty good! A lot of reviews say it's the same as verity, but it has a very different feel to it despite being a similar premise off the bat. Having just read verity, I'd say that Hoover does a better job at the horror-style creepiness factor, and McFadden does a better job at the actual writing (lol). I think this was more predictable, and definitely less bold since the FL is seen in a positive light as opposed to in Hoover's Verity. I don't want to only compare these two since I'm sure there are plenty of very similar stories written before either of the two, and I know that they aren't connected, but it's hard not to associate them.
See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
This story is so cute :)
There's not much to it and it's fairly predictable but it's a perfect comfort read. Very sweet characters and fun premise. It got pretty emotional and addressed big things that college freshman face so it's perfect for that age, but I think any age could connect to it (maybe pg-13 though). It's not super well written, and some of the descriptions were kind of weird. We didn't delve into the physics much if at all, even though it was a major focus of the plot. But the characters felt super real and the emotions were well expressed. I'll definitely look into more by this author when I need a quick easy read.
Not about the book, but the blurb is a little misleading and for the first bit of the book I thought that she'd be in the time loop with Lucie (how is Miles an archnemesis if she's known him for one day?)
There's not much to it and it's fairly predictable but it's a perfect comfort read. Very sweet characters and fun premise. It got pretty emotional and addressed big things that college freshman face so it's perfect for that age, but I think any age could connect to it (maybe pg-13 though). It's not super well written, and some of the descriptions were kind of weird. We didn't delve into the physics much if at all, even though it was a major focus of the plot. But the characters felt super real and the emotions were well expressed. I'll definitely look into more by this author when I need a quick easy read.
Not about the book, but the blurb is a little misleading and for the first bit of the book I thought that she'd be in the time loop with Lucie (how is Miles an archnemesis if she's known him for one day?)