eetishmeh's reviews
22 reviews

Morrighan by Mary E. Pearson

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

An awesome prequel to the Remnant Chronicles' main series! I loved Morrighan and Jafir, and of course the chemistry they had together. I loved the tribe, and I love how I didn't really know what to think of Jafir's clan. I love how it shows two sides of the Remnant—the scavengers, desperate; the tribespeople, overly placating. I love the bravery of our main characters, and the voice of the narration. 
One qualm I have is the trope where part of the relationship's basis was "this is the first time they've interacted with someone around their age who is the opposite gender". However, this book delivers the trope quite well because it didn't feel forced down my throat, and that's definitely something because I despise this set-up with every fibre of my being. (Sorry for being harsh but it's true :'D)
On the other hand, while I also hate how many misunderstanding tropes are written, this was one of the rare exceptions where I actually enjoyed its execution!

Overall, the verdict is that it was a spectacular read, truly. 
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Odd & True by Cat Winters

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adventurous mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This book was awesome! I loved the overall vibe and how the author adds sources at the end. I think Tru was slightly underdeveloped in some aspects, but overall she felt like a real person I could know. 
I enjoyed how Tru's difficulties with her disability were not glossed over, and how she courageously powered through her doubts. I aspire to be as brave as her, truly. 
I love Od's character and how she never loses her spark, despite the many awful happenings she was subject to in her lifetime. If these girls possess anything, it's definitely bravery and determination. 
It took me a while to get into the story, though that's just due to personal preference, I'm sure. (I tend to read fast contemporary books the most.)
I loved the storyteller aspect of the book. I've seen many people mention how the synopsis is misleading, but the copy I own has a different synopsis than the one on the Storygraph. This one fits the book much more, in my opinion. 

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Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

[This review was written without reading the perquisite Caraval books.]
Not my cup of tea, but from an objective standpoint I can tell how well-written it is. I adored the worldbuilding and the Magnificent North, but Evangeline tends to think in repetitive sentences whicu got tiring quick 🥲
The starting was meh for me (rofan veteran readers may think differently; I don't usually read this genre), but it picked up later with the mystery. Would've brought this up to 4 stars if not for some situations I thought were overly possessive in terms of interactions (
Jacks nipping Evangeline's ear and gripping her by the waist even though she was uncomfortable 😭 He didn't have to go that far
) which I believe were unnecessary. 
I don't know how I feel about Jacks potentially being Evangeline's love interest. He's done a lot of terrible things to her so far, and lemme just say that it'll take an out-of-this-world redemption arc to get me to be on-board with that. Whenever I think I'm starting to like Jacks, he turns around and pulls a new stunt :') I have faith in Stephanie Garber, though, because I can tell she's a good writer + my friend who's read the Caraval series vouches for her ability to do that haha

Also, this book is just a walking amatonormative theme, which was off-putting especially because I'm demiromantic 🥲
Conclusion: I think I'd be better off with Caraval tbh
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Escape by Linwood Barclay

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

A great elementary-grade sci-fi book!
A few repetitions, and the dialogue comes off as stilted sometimes, but overall a very enjoyable series with a nice conclusion. I loved the themes of the undertone, and am happy with how Chipper's arc wrapped up. 
Would recommend for younger kids or for a beach read. 
Briar Rose: A Novel of the Holocaust by Jane Yolen

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dark emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A heavy yet fascinating read about the horrors of the Holocaust. I did not know much of this before, and I'm glad I got to understand this piece of history more through Jane Yolen's writing. 
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Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

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adventurous slow-paced

4.75

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

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adventurous slow-paced

5.0

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

[This review was written after reading the 2nd book in this duology.]
Tess is a compelling character whose self-deprecating thoughts I relate to. My past isn't the same as hers, yet the way we deal with our problems internally is extremely similar. I love how Rachel Hartman wrote her struggle, weaved together with amazing vocabulary and detailed worldbuilding as Tess put her boots on and walked the endless road. 
Her journey of self discovery begs one to look inwards and wonder—could I do the same?
If you're asking that, well, that's already the first step, isn't it?
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In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have to say, Rachel Hartman's books always leave me amazed.
Her intricate worldbuilding strikes again in In the Serpent's Wake, and, as expected from this series, the internal conflict and reflections of the characters are a major part of it.
I love how it tackles the issue of colonisation and the injustice to native people, along with other things like worries about gender + gender presentation, moral standing, and interpersonal relationships.
I like how Tess finally came to the realisation that ko shouldn't be used unless someone consents to it/she shouldn't have been calling the quigutl by gendered pronouns in Ninysh without asking. When she first noted her disdain for ko in the 1st book, I was a bit worried in which direction it'd go in—I'm thankful I kept my faith in this duology! I love how Spira tried a few different sets of pronouns before settling on teu/teur, and that Tess admitted she had a crush on both Jacomo and Marga.

I'd recommend this series to someone who wants a reflective and insightful read, yet also adores fantasy settings and worldbuilding! 
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The Memory of Forgotten Things by Kat Zhang

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adventurous hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This book was a nice read! I always love a good story about different realities. It's an easy topic to mess up, but this book certainly handled it well! Also, I really love lunar eclipses. 
The characters are very lovable and relatable, and I love the way it tackles heavy subjects in an easy way for younger readers to understand while not taking away the true weight of the subjects. 
I'd definitely recommend this to elementary- to middle-grade readers, or older if you want a quick read. (I myself am a high school student.)
I wish Mae had a more conclusive ending, though. It felt a bit strange to have her appear as a plot device a couple times only to be forgotten.
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