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vel629vet's reviews
1015 reviews
Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers - The Ms. Marvel Years Vol. 2 by Brian Reed
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Could have done some really cool stuff with her team, but just let it fall flat (like many of the storylines from Brian Reed with Carol).
Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers - The Ms. Marvel Years Vol. 1 by Mike Wieringo, Aaron Lopresti, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto de la Torre, Brian Reed, Patrick Zircher
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moments of clarity, but mostly a lot of icky non-feminist material.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I just love my girl TJR.
But honestly this was closer to a 4.25 for me. I didn't love the first half, but loved how she sped up and sped up as we got to the end.
Once the party started (literally), I felt there were just too many people introduced. Some of them I cared about, most I didn't.
But her writing is impeccable, her imagery is lovely, and I will read everything she writes.
But honestly this was closer to a 4.25 for me. I didn't love the first half, but loved how she sped up and sped up as we got to the end.
Once the party started (literally), I felt there were just too many people introduced. Some of them I cared about, most I didn't.
But her writing is impeccable, her imagery is lovely, and I will read everything she writes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Sexual harassment
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Favorite book of the year so far. Quick and easy but oh so heartfelt and beautiful. It was also my first book to annotate and I really enjoyed that process. Klune has this ability to write so simply but make you feel so deeply. EVERYONE should read this magical story about changing yourself and finding your home.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I just couldn’t get into this one. Plot was pretty non-existent, characters weren’t interesting or relatable (to me, I know, but I have read poor/autistic/immigrant characters that are interesting and appealing, these weren’t it). The attraction didn’t make sense - it seemed to just be lust by proximity - Kai fell for her because she invaded his space and he had to deal with it. She fell for him because he was a big hunky American man she was living with. Moving on to book 3 in this series with hope because Kiss Quotient was my first 5 star book this year.
Maginary - immersive game book by Semyon Polyakovskiy
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
First 2 chapters were awesome and original. I was happy to pay $4.99 to finish the book/app. But the last 3 chapters weren’t nearly as good or interactive. Would love to see more from this company because I think this was an awesome idea that just showed too much of its appeal in the beginning and didn’t leave enough for the end.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Reread Jan 2024: 5 stars again. As I was reading and feeling a bit of dragging I was thinking I would go down a star to 4, but damn if SJM can't write a killer ending to a book. I was listening on audiobook while jogging and my heartrate was wild listening to everything after the Summit. I genuinely forgot how thrilling this book was at the end. Ready to reread book 2 in prep for book 3!
First read March 2022: 5 stars. If I could live a day inside any author’s head, it would be SJM. This epic fantasy is absolutely mind bending how well crafted it is. An impressively well crafted world, a relatable heroine, and that particular skill that SJM wields of keeping huge twists secret even when they are known by the main character the whole time. I don’t know how her brain can hold all of these ideas and so expertly put them together into one story. It took me a while to get through this Goliath but I enjoyed every second and can’t wait for book 2.
First read March 2022: 5 stars. If I could live a day inside any author’s head, it would be SJM. This epic fantasy is absolutely mind bending how well crafted it is. An impressively well crafted world, a relatable heroine, and that particular skill that SJM wields of keeping huge twists secret even when they are known by the main character the whole time. I don’t know how her brain can hold all of these ideas and so expertly put them together into one story. It took me a while to get through this Goliath but I enjoyed every second and can’t wait for book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Cute but a little dull. I loved the plus size main character and the fact that her size wasn’t the main theme of the love story, but I did not love the actual story. Any relationship that starts with the characters being unwilling to communicate in true honesty is a little messed up, and I didn’t like how long it took for them to just talk to each other. Also, fade to black warning….
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a hard book for me and I do need to start paying closer attention to trigger warnings. However, Quinn gave us another superbly researched and written 5 star historical fiction that had me entranced and gave a wonderful ending. I liked Alice Network more throughout the story, but I liked this ending more and it left me more satisfied. Highly highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: War
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Foley takes the skills she was refining in The Hunting Party and dials them to 110% in this novel. She builds incredible tension and intrigue throughout and keeps you on your toes. If it wasn’t so rated R it would be a great book for high school English to study literature and storytelling devices for mysteries and thrillers. Incredible writing, but I’m not really in the mood right now for these types of books. Back to fantasy and romance for me…