lochnessvhs's reviews
761 reviews

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

They got me in the first half, not gonna lie. A bit disappointed by the ending, however.

A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain by Sara Manning Peskin

dark informative reflective fast-paced

3.75

The Woods, Vol. 1: The Arrow by James Tynion IV

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The Queen's Lender by Jean Findlay

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

adventurous emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

And here is where I experienced the absolute agony of having to speed through a book before it was due back at the library but wanting to savor it forever.

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

4.5

Holy moly what an adventure!

To be completely honest, for the first quarter of this book, I wasn't sure I would like it. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was going to be a story about a rich girl complaining about her life and I just wasn't interested in that.

Turns out there are about 40 other things this book is about, nearly every one of them a complete surprise.

If you're questioning whether your middle grade reader should pick this up, I could not shout YES loud enough. It's an absolutely beautiful story, a wild ride, and an incredible reflection on the ways we connect with our family.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Whole Health For Happy Cats by Sandy Arora

informative medium-paced

4.5

This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

2.75

The main thing that this book has working against it is it's cover, which suggests a Gossip Girl-style story with a twist. But that's not what this book is about at all. 

The tonal shift after the first 1/3 is abrupt. We are seeing the world of an elite prep school from a scholorship-kid's POV (who is a lesbian with autism, which was INCREDIBLE), and all of a sudden...there are secret societies and murders and the world is literally ending from a solar flare.

It's not what you felt like you were being set up for at all. And I think that could be a good thing OR a bad thing, but for me it felt like when you're taking a drink of something and expect it to be Diet Coke but it was actually Mt. Dew and your brain short-circuits for a second.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Classism

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford

dark funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.5