xangemtheelibrarian's reviews
985 reviews

Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen

Go to review page

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

2.5

I'm just so confused by this book. Like, sure, all the threads tied up very nicely. But there was so much going on. 

First, the main plot: Wrecker getting sucked into a smuggling operation and having to outsmart the smugglers to save his life and his family's.

Second: the most unromantic romance side plot between Wrecker and Willi

Third: The environmental war being waged against cruise ships killing Key West reefs.

Fourth: Wrecker's mom, dad, and step-father. Just all of them. Literally everything every single one of them do.

Fifth: the pandemic. People dying left and right. The antivaxxer stuff and the fake vaccine cards.

Sixth: the random history dumps about Manuel Cabeza and other historical people who have landmarks in the Florida Keys. And the fictional history dumps about Wrecker's ancestors. He's *seriously* obsessed with his ancestors. Just all the info dumps actually. I feel like I know Key West better than my hometown now.

This just literally felt like it wanted to be so many things and the author couldn't focus on one really great idea. But I did find his writing style to be engaging and easy to consume.
Virtually Me by Shelly Brown, Chad Morris

Go to review page

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

4.5

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. The cover art does not do the story justice. Bradley, Edelle, Jasper, and Keiko were all immediately loveable beans. ESPECIALLY Keiko. She is literally a quiet goth kid hatching outlandish revenge plots to make her friends feel better, and I can feel my inner teen SCREAMING to be just like her. Hunter was harder to love. I'm still not sure I sympathize with him at all. Yes, he's dealing with Alopecia. He's losing his hair. But the dude is a meat-headed prick for 95% of the story. Not a fan. 

Overall, this was fantastic. I was all in for the entire ride from start to finish.
Forever Twelve by Stacy McAnulty

Go to review page

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

2.0

This one was... Strange. I don't know how else to put it. The Evers were giving some serious Cullen family vibes. Like. I dunno. I couldn't stop thinking of Twilight. 

This poor girl, Ivy, moves to a private school to go chase her dreams. She meets a mysterious quartet of near-immortal kids who are all hundreds of years old but trapped in 12-year old bodies. Abigail can't stay away from Ivy. Ivy is drawn into this world of supernatural beings. And then there's Ronan! Ronan from Ivy's hometown. Not exactly friends, but they become friends after realizing they are what remind each other of home. And he ends up dragged into the supernatural world against his will! (Ronan gives strong Jacob Black vibes.) 

Idk why my brain kept drawing parallels between Twilight and Forever Twelve, but it did. And that made me so uncomfortable 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
I Am the Walrus by Eric Elfman, Neal Shusterman

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
This whole books is totally strange, but they absolutely lost me in the freezer scene when Sahara wrapped herself up in his blubber and they both fell asleep like that. (Apparently, being wrapped up in blubber feels like being wrapped up in tofu.) 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

So head's up, this entire review is spoiler-y. 😅 But I'm so angry haha Also why is this book getting 5 stars if I'm so upset? The characters, plot, and story were all so engaging I was totally emotionally invested. So, if ya want the rage review, see the spoiler below haha

Ugh I knew from the BEGINNING that Ross's mother was just Mother Gothel. Manipulative, cruel, selfish, greedy. And just an FYI, Storygraph's new AI had a big ol spoiler calling this book "lovers to enemies." 

It is no wonder there's gonna be a second book. Ross has been left completely alone. I mean, except for Lia. But literally everyone Ross *thought* she could trust were all the ones who betrayed her. I cannot imagine the kind of therapy she'll need after this series is over. And Devroe? I saw all the way through you boy.
Eli Over Easy by Phil Stamper

Go to review page

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

4.0

This was touching. Eli trying to connect with his mother through her passion after she died. I can imagine Eli's pain. The desire to keep his mother alive through little things like remembering her recipes, and the frustration over not being able to cook. I do the same thing with my dad. I wear his shirts all the time. I keep pictures around the house. All the little ways in which I can keep him alive and continue to remember his smile and laugh. In the end, both Eli and I are just a couple kids trying to hang on to what remains of a parent that we loved. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh

Go to review page

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

4.0

I didn't see the twist until right before it happened. Wow. I honestly could care less about Matthew and his family's struggles. It's one of those kinds of books where I wanted to skip ever part of his POV just to get back to Nadia and Mila. 

Surviving often comes with shame and/guilt. It comes with a lot of icky feelings because people often have to do things that are against their nature or moral system. But surviving is something to be proud of too.
The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto by Adrianna Cuevas

Go to review page

emotional funny 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

5.0

This was SO wholesome. The author touches on grief, loss, and trauma in such a tender way. Rafa, Marcus, and Jennie are wonderful characters that I found so easy to root for. Most stunning of all is Rafa's natural sense of empathy and care for others. Maybe it's just because he knows, with his mom being sick and Beto's brother dealing with trauma, but whenever Marcus struggles with his PTSD, he immediately goes into empathy mode and gives Marcus exactly the space he needs to ground himself again.

Do I think that it is absolutely terrible for a 12 year old to be acting like a fully mature adult? Yeah, I do. Rafa shouldn't know what it's like to watch someone struggle with their mental health or their past. He's only 12. But I love how he has chosen to respond to the people around him. Gentle soul I want to give him a hug.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson

Go to review page

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

3.0

This was alright. The characters didn't feel particularly emotive to me, just almost in a perpetual state of dissociation or shock. The entire time I was reading, I was thinking of another book written about The Matchbox neighborhood and the greedy landlords: Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado. I feel like both are great ways to learn about this tragedy in history. Tirado's book really showcases the horror and emotional impact of this event, but Woodson's characters make you feel like you are there, watching people's homes and lives go up in flames, but almost with a degree of separation.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Unraveller by Frances Hardinge

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book took FOREVER to slog through, but damn these characters are complex! You think you know who you can trust at the start, but as you unravel each characters history, choices, and motivations, suddenly you become a whole lot less sure of yourself. It was like trying to walk through the Wild Marshes myself: tedious, my shoes got stuck in the muck, and breathing was labored, but the whole place was so intimately woven with magic that I lost myself in the beauty of the journey, forgetting the real world for a few days while I was caught in a tangled knot of silvery, glittering strands of dreams, hopes, and horrors.