shiv91's reviews
1019 reviews

Reloaded by Chris Ryan

adventurous mysterious reflective tense fast-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

I'm really enjoying this series and how Zak continues to grow as a person and as his skills continue to improve even more.

Quick, entertaining reads.

Sever and Split by Teshelle Combs, Leigh Ferguson

adventurous funny lighthearted tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Very glad to have been provided with an ARC for this book.

I don't often read books that are written by dual authors as I find that they often don't blend well together, which makes for awkward reading. With this, however, the story flowed beautifully and you would actually think it was written entirely by one person.

This has something for everyone in it; magic, suspense, romance, family relationships, witty banter, humour. To put so much in without dulling one topic over the other is impressive.

The story itself was superbly done and I did not want to put this down. I read it all in about a day and was so sad when I finished it! 

There wasn't one character who I didn't find interesting and that is impressive, particularly with side characters as they're not always well put together.

Can't wait to read more from these talented authors!

Agent 21 by Chris Ryan

adventurous mysterious fast-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

Really enjoyed this, surprisingly original, considering how many of these kid spy books there are around.

Can't wait to get started on the next book!

Heads You Die by Stephen Cole

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.5

This started off pretty well with some good action and what seemed like an interesting plot but I found myself a bit bored as the book went on.

I definitely am still of the opinion that Charlie Higson did a better job with Young Bond. With this, aside from Hugo, the side characters felt a bit flat. They just didn't feel very well developed.

Enjoyable enough and I will read the rest of them.

Cracked: An Easter Story by Teshelle Combs

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a quick, fun read. Stella is an amazing character and I would not want to get on her bad side! (Some might want to do though..)

I loved the side character, Grace. A bit crazy but somehow still loveable. 

If you're looking for a fast read with some spice, a sassy mc goddess and witty banter; look no further!

Theo can honestly bake for me anytime.

The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This was an entertaining read but that ending dragged the entire book down because it made no sense.

Also, were we supposed to like Chris? I couldn't stand him. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Moments Asunder by Dayton Ward

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow, this was wild! I've found the books based on Star Trek to be pretty hit and miss, but this exceeded my expectations. 

It took my brain about 60 pages to be fully immersed as it is about time travel so there is a lot of lingo and timelines to keep track of. Once I was fully in it, I really ended up enjoying the book a lot.

Looking forward the next ones!

The Originals: The Rise by Julie Plec

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was a lot of fun to read!

I think it would help to have watched The Originals or The Vampire Diaries before reading this. You're sort of just thrown into it but there is some background info thrown around here and there throughout the book, which I think would give a bit of an understanding to it all.
 
Looking forward to the next one.

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

A compelling read touching on difficult subjects. 

Arena 13 by Joseph Delaney

adventurous tense fast-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

4.0

A quick, entertaining read.