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galaxiesofbooks's reviews
305 reviews
The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i've never read anything by this author before but i'll definitely check their other work after loving this book!
โ
๐ฆ i really enjoyed the storytelling part of it, it sounded magical and the artwork really made it feel special.
๐ฆ the main character anya was also brave and dedicated to moth keeping, enduring cold nights out in the desert for them.
๐ฆ honestly the idea itself of moth keeping was so unique and cute!
๐ฆ i also loved the fact that even if anya made a mistake, no one from the village blamed her or made her feel less than. they supported her all the same and that was heartwarming. ๐ค
๐ฆ it wasn't my all time favourite story because it did feel a bit short, but i still highly recommend checking this one out. it's a perfect autumnal read!
โ
๐ฆ i really enjoyed the storytelling part of it, it sounded magical and the artwork really made it feel special.
๐ฆ the main character anya was also brave and dedicated to moth keeping, enduring cold nights out in the desert for them.
๐ฆ honestly the idea itself of moth keeping was so unique and cute!
๐ฆ i also loved the fact that even if anya made a mistake, no one from the village blamed her or made her feel less than. they supported her all the same and that was heartwarming. ๐ค
๐ฆ it wasn't my all time favourite story because it did feel a bit short, but i still highly recommend checking this one out. it's a perfect autumnal read!
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
i mostly had a fun time with this author's books, they didn't yet disappoint me and safe to say this was a hit too!
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๐ฆ my favourite characters were bela and lois. they actually felt real as characters if that makes sense. i don't usually like following the story from a child's pov but this one surprisingly worked for me. and lois... just bless her sweet heart. ๐ญ
๐ฆ my least favourite character was definitely ursula. she was a bitch to everyone sometimes.
๐ฆ the relationship between ursula and bela was really strange for me. it was like she didn't even like her own daughter. bela and her dad however... they were sweet as hell. *cries in daddy issues*
๐ฆ the way bela described the "other mommy"... definitely gave me the creeps. her appearance and movement was a HELL no.
๐ฆ i really enjoyed the writing style. there was a lot of dialogue and the chapters flew by! definitely a good book to pick up if you want a quick and spooky read.
๐ฆ the haunted house atmosphere - ๐ค it was genuinely so creepy at times, i didn't dare read it in the dark lol.
๐ฆ i would've liked the "other mommy" to say more creepy things than what it did tho. she mostly just kept repeating the same thing over and over.
๐ฆ there was a lot of "mommy says", "daddo says" thing which did get a little annoying.
๐ฆ i also guessed the plot twist but i didn't think it was gonna happen so late in the book, pretty much right at the end, but i'm not mad. it was done in a genuinely creepy way. however, the very last few sentences of the book did confuse me a bit, i didn't know what it meant lol.
๐ฆ i still highly recommend reading this if you want a haunted house story that is atmospheric and fast paced!
โ
๐ฆ my favourite characters were bela and lois. they actually felt real as characters if that makes sense. i don't usually like following the story from a child's pov but this one surprisingly worked for me. and lois... just bless her sweet heart. ๐ญ
๐ฆ my least favourite character was definitely ursula. she was a bitch to everyone sometimes.
๐ฆ the relationship between ursula and bela was really strange for me. it was like she didn't even like her own daughter. bela and her dad however... they were sweet as hell. *cries in daddy issues*
๐ฆ the way bela described the "other mommy"... definitely gave me the creeps. her appearance and movement was a HELL no.
๐ฆ i really enjoyed the writing style. there was a lot of dialogue and the chapters flew by! definitely a good book to pick up if you want a quick and spooky read.
๐ฆ the haunted house atmosphere - ๐ค it was genuinely so creepy at times, i didn't dare read it in the dark lol.
๐ฆ i would've liked the "other mommy" to say more creepy things than what it did tho. she mostly just kept repeating the same thing over and over.
๐ฆ there was a lot of "mommy says", "daddo says" thing which did get a little annoying.
๐ฆ i also guessed the plot twist but i didn't think it was gonna happen so late in the book, pretty much right at the end, but i'm not mad. it was done in a genuinely creepy way. however, the very last few sentences of the book did confuse me a bit, i didn't know what it meant lol.
๐ฆ i still highly recommend reading this if you want a haunted house story that is atmospheric and fast paced!
Dracula by Bram Stoker
3.0
i've been meaning to read this for a really long time and so i thought this october is literally perfect to finally read this book !!
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i really loved the writing style. something about it makes the story feel more realistic and closer to heart. also easy to imagine the events that were unfolding.
the characters were perfectly developed, like *chef's kiss*. they were each different and likable in their own ways. you can tell that the author done his best to bring life into these people.
the plot ... i loved reading the creepy scenes with the lunatic and lucy. i think those were my favorite out of the book !!
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however, what i did not really enjoy was, at some parts, confusing writing style. i know i said i loved it, but at some parts the old english language got me like ??? ๐ฅด i think it's common with classics lmaoo
also that ending was so underwhelming ... i mean, all this fuss just for *that* ?? man. a pity. it was building up to this extreme point, just to go down low as it did. i genuinely let out a long sigh and i said to myself "this is it ???"
it was still enjoyable tho !!! i didn't really want the story to end and i get why people love this book so much ๐ฅบ
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i really loved the writing style. something about it makes the story feel more realistic and closer to heart. also easy to imagine the events that were unfolding.
the characters were perfectly developed, like *chef's kiss*. they were each different and likable in their own ways. you can tell that the author done his best to bring life into these people.
the plot ... i loved reading the creepy scenes with the lunatic and lucy. i think those were my favorite out of the book !!
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
however, what i did not really enjoy was, at some parts, confusing writing style. i know i said i loved it, but at some parts the old english language got me like ??? ๐ฅด i think it's common with classics lmaoo
also that ending was so underwhelming ... i mean, all this fuss just for *that* ?? man. a pity. it was building up to this extreme point, just to go down low as it did. i genuinely let out a long sigh and i said to myself "this is it ???"
it was still enjoyable tho !!! i didn't really want the story to end and i get why people love this book so much ๐ฅบ
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
3.0
i found this book to be way more serious than i thought it would be. i can't say why cuz it immediately would spoil the story, but i did not expect this story to go in THAT direction. i wouldn't also classify it as horror, more like a thriller and mystery.
i loved the characters in this book, i connected with them and i was genuinely intrigued as to what was happening in their lives. i was quite wary of Ted's mum and for a good reason ๐
the setup was spooky as well, like this house that's always in the shadow, the one that Ted lived in with his cat Olivia, the forest at night ... and the lake ๐
also isn't the cover just so terrifying as well ??? i love it tho lmaoo
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however, i found this to be a slow burn story. nothing really happened throughout half of the book, i was expecting like some fucked up shit happening by then, but it were just sooome weird bits happening every now and then. i wanted a fast paced, horrific concept from the beginning ๐
it was also really confusing at times and i found myself not being able to sort through my mind what just happened, we kinda jumped between memories and present, between Little Ted and Big Ted and i was at some parts confused as to what's happening in the forest with Dee as well. if u read the book, i hope u understand what i mean lol !!
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i had a great time with this book and i was surprised finding out what was actually up with Ted and Dee's little sister Laura, it wasn't my favorite, but it was still enjoyable !
i loved the characters in this book, i connected with them and i was genuinely intrigued as to what was happening in their lives. i was quite wary of Ted's mum and for a good reason ๐
the setup was spooky as well, like this house that's always in the shadow, the one that Ted lived in with his cat Olivia, the forest at night ... and the lake ๐
also isn't the cover just so terrifying as well ??? i love it tho lmaoo
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
however, i found this to be a slow burn story. nothing really happened throughout half of the book, i was expecting like some fucked up shit happening by then, but it were just sooome weird bits happening every now and then. i wanted a fast paced, horrific concept from the beginning ๐
it was also really confusing at times and i found myself not being able to sort through my mind what just happened, we kinda jumped between memories and present, between Little Ted and Big Ted and i was at some parts confused as to what's happening in the forest with Dee as well. if u read the book, i hope u understand what i mean lol !!
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i had a great time with this book and i was surprised finding out what was actually up with Ted and Dee's little sister Laura, it wasn't my favorite, but it was still enjoyable !
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4.0
oh my god, it couldn't have been a better book than this to read in the month of october !!! it's spooky, it's mysterious, it's dark & obviously gothic ๐
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so, i liked almost everything in this story. the characters felt real, perfectly developed, there was also something about the writing style that felt so wonderful to read in, so simple yet really nice. i don't know how to explain it better lol.
i loved the mystery about this story, the atmosphere, literally perfect for this time of year.
the main character Noemi seemed at times such a badass & her curiosity for things, her carefree personality (at the beginning), it just all felt real. all the characters in this book had their own personality, it felt like the author really took her time to think of every single person, how they should be presented & what part they would play in the story.
protect Francis at all costs pls !!!! he's a sweetie ๐ฅบ
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however, from the middle of the book we kinda get to understand what's going on, but ... it really underwhelmed me in a way, cuz i expected something else, something more sinister ๐ hence the 1 diamond that i took out.
and also, i lowkey felt like we didn't get much story about Catalina, main character's cousin, that was in the house and the one who sent the letter in the first place. we didn't get to see her often, which was a pity, since she should be one of the main protagonists there.
but other than that, this book was really good & i had such a great experience reading it !!!
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so, i liked almost everything in this story. the characters felt real, perfectly developed, there was also something about the writing style that felt so wonderful to read in, so simple yet really nice. i don't know how to explain it better lol.
i loved the mystery about this story, the atmosphere, literally perfect for this time of year.
the main character Noemi seemed at times such a badass & her curiosity for things, her carefree personality (at the beginning), it just all felt real. all the characters in this book had their own personality, it felt like the author really took her time to think of every single person, how they should be presented & what part they would play in the story.
protect Francis at all costs pls !!!! he's a sweetie ๐ฅบ
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
however, from the middle of the book we kinda get to understand what's going on, but ... it really underwhelmed me in a way, cuz i expected something else, something more sinister ๐ hence the 1 diamond that i took out.
and also, i lowkey felt like we didn't get much story about Catalina, main character's cousin, that was in the house and the one who sent the letter in the first place. we didn't get to see her often, which was a pity, since she should be one of the main protagonists there.
but other than that, this book was really good & i had such a great experience reading it !!!
Coral by Sara Ella
3.5
that was a beautiful book, to say the least. it has so many quotes that just feel so close to heart & inspiring & thought provoking. one of them i literally cherish with all my heart: โ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ญ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐.โ ๐
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
what i loved about this book was the writing style. i loved how it was presented in a simple, yet so understandable way. i can't really describe it, but it's something about it that it's just so lovely.
i also grew to love all the characters in this book, i felt for them, i rooted for them, i was sad and broken for them, i was happy for them. all emotions poured throughout the book, although i did manage not to cry my arse off lol.
the story itself is told in a strange way & i didn't realise that in the 1st part of the book. we get a story within a story, i love those cuz you get to see the whole "before" thing, you'll know what i mean if you decide to pick this up !! and also The Little Mermaid resemblance ?? it's my favorite, so it only makes sense i'd pick this up immediately ๐ฉ
and, i also loved short chapters in this book. EXTRA thank yous for the author, i felt like i was flying through the book !!
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
now, the reasons why i decided to knock a few diamonds off were cuz later on, in the middle and the last part of the book we get all double names for each 3 characters still, it's not confusing in any way, i just wanted them to kinda let go of the story in the first part and embrace their real names, not the "nicknames". it's really hard to understand for everyone who haven't read the book, but yeah ๐๐
the romance there was quite cheesy at times, although it might just be me, friends to lovers trope isn't really my favorite.
and overall, the story just ... lacked something for me, it wasn't as strong as i think it should be, given the topic.
and this mysterious Prince turns out to be like that ?? c'mon, that's just so brushed off considering he plays quite a part in this book, he could've been so much better developed ๐
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in any case, this is a heartbreaking story that some of you might find difficult to read about so make sure to read all the trigger warnings first.
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ . ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฆ ๐ข.
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
what i loved about this book was the writing style. i loved how it was presented in a simple, yet so understandable way. i can't really describe it, but it's something about it that it's just so lovely.
i also grew to love all the characters in this book, i felt for them, i rooted for them, i was sad and broken for them, i was happy for them. all emotions poured throughout the book, although i did manage not to cry my arse off lol.
the story itself is told in a strange way & i didn't realise that in the 1st part of the book. we get a story within a story, i love those cuz you get to see the whole "before" thing, you'll know what i mean if you decide to pick this up !! and also The Little Mermaid resemblance ?? it's my favorite, so it only makes sense i'd pick this up immediately ๐ฉ
and, i also loved short chapters in this book. EXTRA thank yous for the author, i felt like i was flying through the book !!
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
now, the reasons why i decided to knock a few diamonds off were cuz later on, in the middle and the last part of the book we get all double names for each 3 characters still, it's not confusing in any way, i just wanted them to kinda let go of the story in the first part and embrace their real names, not the "nicknames". it's really hard to understand for everyone who haven't read the book, but yeah ๐๐
the romance there was quite cheesy at times, although it might just be me, friends to lovers trope isn't really my favorite.
and overall, the story just ... lacked something for me, it wasn't as strong as i think it should be, given the topic.
and this mysterious Prince turns out to be like that ?? c'mon, that's just so brushed off considering he plays quite a part in this book, he could've been so much better developed ๐
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
in any case, this is a heartbreaking story that some of you might find difficult to read about so make sure to read all the trigger warnings first.
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ . ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฆ ๐ข.
Incendiary by Zoraida Cรณrdova
3.0
this book was fine. i don't hate it, but neither it was something phenomenal to me. man, will i ever have a ya fantasy that's a fiver ?? they tend to be just alright to me ๐
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so first, things i liked about this book.
the writing style was quite simple, which i kinda enjoy in books.
the magic system is also really interesting: Robaris who can steal memories from other people, Illusionaris who can obviously cast illusions, Persuaris who deal with people's emotions & Ventaris who can read a person's mind and confirm if they're telling the truth. that was quite interesting to read about.
my favorite characters in this book were Nuria & Castian, they were the most fascinating to read about lmaoo. it's just something sarcastic about them both that made me feel close to them, if that makes sense ??
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now, all my issues w this.
and man ... i have a few lol. first, the romance. PLS, it was soooo damn cheesy & just too much. the 1st part of the book was basically all sugar coated romance. if it wasn't for the audiobook, i think i would have dnfed it just for this reason alone.
another thing, Renata was so repetitive, like her inner talk is always going back to Dez, her love interest, & then repeating her own memories of ppl telling her shit over & over again like OK WE GET IT, U SAID IT LIKE 5 TIMES BEFORE !!! it was frustrating.
the whole story was meh. it wasn't the worst i've ever read, but it was underwhelming in way.
there were a few plot twists, but i just didn't care that much, not for the characters & neither for the so called twists.
it was ok, i'd recommend it more to proper ya lovers, i guess. don't think i'll continue w the series either. i'm into more serious shit than that ๐
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
so first, things i liked about this book.
the writing style was quite simple, which i kinda enjoy in books.
the magic system is also really interesting: Robaris who can steal memories from other people, Illusionaris who can obviously cast illusions, Persuaris who deal with people's emotions & Ventaris who can read a person's mind and confirm if they're telling the truth. that was quite interesting to read about.
my favorite characters in this book were Nuria & Castian, they were the most fascinating to read about lmaoo. it's just something sarcastic about them both that made me feel close to them, if that makes sense ??
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
now, all my issues w this.
and man ... i have a few lol. first, the romance. PLS, it was soooo damn cheesy & just too much. the 1st part of the book was basically all sugar coated romance. if it wasn't for the audiobook, i think i would have dnfed it just for this reason alone.
another thing, Renata was so repetitive, like her inner talk is always going back to Dez, her love interest, & then repeating her own memories of ppl telling her shit over & over again like OK WE GET IT, U SAID IT LIKE 5 TIMES BEFORE !!! it was frustrating.
the whole story was meh. it wasn't the worst i've ever read, but it was underwhelming in way.
there were a few plot twists, but i just didn't care that much, not for the characters & neither for the so called twists.
it was ok, i'd recommend it more to proper ya lovers, i guess. don't think i'll continue w the series either. i'm into more serious shit than that ๐
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
3.0
it's hard for me to actually review this book cuz it deals w stuff i don't really understand much about. i have other beliefs, so maybe that's partly the reason why. i've never understood casual s*x to be a coping mechanism for a relationship break. not break up !! just a break. i'd personally think it a way of cheating, cuz this period is supposed to be for each individual to focus on themselves & think about how to continue on w the relationship they're in.
the protagonist Queenie is a complicated person imo. i ended up rootin for her at the end ofc, but some parts were like there's no way u're doing this to urself & others. i found out that casual s*x trope is indeed not my thing at all. i found it hard to believe that men ON THE 1ST MEETING start talking sexually to her. not one, but several men. do men actually do this ?? while 1st time seeing a woman ?? it was just unrealistic to me.
Queenie was a problematic friend as well at the start. i felt like she's never asked any of her friends โwell, how are YOU doing tho?โ but kept all chats going on about herself. i felt Darcy especially trying to help Queenie to get away from all these men, but it's like she didn't even listen & even snapped at her. so that wasn't nice :/
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i loved the rasicm aspect in this book, for that i am grateful cuz i think it needs to be talked about so much more & in this book, u actually get to see ppl say things which might not seem racist, but they are.
also, i was here for Cassandra vs Queenie drama, that was some proper tea tho ๐โ
& i just loved seeing Queenie grow better as a person. strong & independent. we always love to see a bangin character growth !! ๐ฅบ
& lets not forget about her relationship w her family, so sweet ๐
i could write so much more about this book, but yep. it was a good read !
the protagonist Queenie is a complicated person imo. i ended up rootin for her at the end ofc, but some parts were like there's no way u're doing this to urself & others. i found out that casual s*x trope is indeed not my thing at all. i found it hard to believe that men ON THE 1ST MEETING start talking sexually to her. not one, but several men. do men actually do this ?? while 1st time seeing a woman ?? it was just unrealistic to me.
Queenie was a problematic friend as well at the start. i felt like she's never asked any of her friends โwell, how are YOU doing tho?โ but kept all chats going on about herself. i felt Darcy especially trying to help Queenie to get away from all these men, but it's like she didn't even listen & even snapped at her. so that wasn't nice :/
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i loved the rasicm aspect in this book, for that i am grateful cuz i think it needs to be talked about so much more & in this book, u actually get to see ppl say things which might not seem racist, but they are.
also, i was here for Cassandra vs Queenie drama, that was some proper tea tho ๐โ
& i just loved seeing Queenie grow better as a person. strong & independent. we always love to see a bangin character growth !! ๐ฅบ
& lets not forget about her relationship w her family, so sweet ๐
i could write so much more about this book, but yep. it was a good read !
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
2.0
wow... that was bad. i only really liked the detective's pov which was at some points hilarious & idk just more interesting ??
we follow Ciara's and Oliver's povs as well from before the murder & they're literally at some points the same. like what they each say in their povs. EXACT SAME ACTIONS like ???? u are two different people, u can't think the same way wtf ??? & then some dialogues were extremely repetitive, word in word, that i had to skip it cuz man i've already read it & i don't wanna read about shit i ALREADY KNOW. i am quite pissed off w this book in that sense. i really wanted to enjoy it, but it's like the author just wanted to get more words out or something so she basically used exact same sentences just to make the story longer.
and also the romance itself ??? TOO QUICK to the point where it's really not realistic at all. they moved in together literally just three weeks after they met basically. i am a slow burn romance lover, so this was just a flat no to me.
i feel frustration after reading this book idk. would not recommend reading this tbh, the only thing that saved it was Lee's pov. the murder itself as well, the ending - so underwhelming. i read it all w a flat af face, not feeling nothing at all lmao.
so yeah, pass.
we follow Ciara's and Oliver's povs as well from before the murder & they're literally at some points the same. like what they each say in their povs. EXACT SAME ACTIONS like ???? u are two different people, u can't think the same way wtf ??? & then some dialogues were extremely repetitive, word in word, that i had to skip it cuz man i've already read it & i don't wanna read about shit i ALREADY KNOW. i am quite pissed off w this book in that sense. i really wanted to enjoy it, but it's like the author just wanted to get more words out or something so she basically used exact same sentences just to make the story longer.
and also the romance itself ??? TOO QUICK to the point where it's really not realistic at all. they moved in together literally just three weeks after they met basically. i am a slow burn romance lover, so this was just a flat no to me.
i feel frustration after reading this book idk. would not recommend reading this tbh, the only thing that saved it was Lee's pov. the murder itself as well, the ending - so underwhelming. i read it all w a flat af face, not feeling nothing at all lmao.
so yeah, pass.