Scan barcode
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
3.0
3.5/5
I enjoyed the plot of this book! I found it to be really different and the characters to be unpredictable.
I enjoyed the plot of this book! I found it to be really different and the characters to be unpredictable.
lanadelrat's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
stephanieanneauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This was one of those books I wish I enjoyed more than I did. I even debated over what my final rating would be. Overall, I like the concept, and the characters are loveable - although they are more like caricatures at times, but that was easily forgiven.
I stayed for the characters and not for the plot because the story took quite a while to get going. In fact, there was so much focus on characters and their relationships with one another that I didn't feel the story had any real stakes until the last hundred pages or so. Until that moment, I spent the bulk of the novel wondering where this was all going.
Another issue I had was that the world building was minimal. Not every book needs rich lore, but in a fantasy novel I do expect to get a sense of the larger world the story inhabits. Although Quixx, its history, and its inhabitants are described in detail, I know next to nothing about the world at large. I don't know that I could tell you a single thing about Brindlewatch outside of how Constance and Ivory's parents expect them to live in it. For most of the book, I debated whether this world as a whole was meant to be analogous to our own (but with monsters), or purely fantastical with completely different societal rules and norms.
I think the most frustrating part was something that could have been resolved by another round of edits. There was a tendency to over explain certain things to the point where it became the literary equivalent of beating a dead horse, as if the reader couldn't be trusted to understand the finer details of the story.
The section that infuriated me the most was one that beautifully described the gender identity of two characters and how they had held re-naming ceremonies for themselves. This was immediately followed by another character saying something along the lines of: "Oh, that means they're transgender." That ruined the moment for me. That is not something that needed to be over-explained. It was more than apparent before that moment that Mx. Mott was trans, and that one sentence sullied what was a very well written paragraph.
Again, even at their worst, the characters were loveable enough that I had to know what happened to them, so it really frustrated me that this story fell flat.
I stayed for the characters and not for the plot because the story took quite a while to get going. In fact, there was so much focus on characters and their relationships with one another that I didn't feel the story had any real stakes until the last hundred pages or so. Until that moment, I spent the bulk of the novel wondering where this was all going.
Another issue I had was that the world building was minimal. Not every book needs rich lore, but in a fantasy novel I do expect to get a sense of the larger world the story inhabits. Although Quixx, its history, and its inhabitants are described in detail, I know next to nothing about the world at large. I don't know that I could tell you a single thing about Brindlewatch outside of how Constance and Ivory's parents expect them to live in it. For most of the book, I debated whether this world as a whole was meant to be analogous to our own (but with monsters), or purely fantastical with completely different societal rules and norms.
I think the most frustrating part was something that could have been resolved by another round of edits. There was a tendency to over explain certain things to the point where it became the literary equivalent of beating a dead horse, as if the reader couldn't be trusted to understand the finer details of the story.
The section that infuriated me the most was one that beautifully described the gender identity of two characters and how they had held re-naming ceremonies for themselves. This was immediately followed by another character saying something along the lines of: "Oh, that means they're transgender." That ruined the moment for me. That is not something that needed to be over-explained. It was more than apparent before that moment that Mx. Mott was trans, and that one sentence sullied what was a very well written paragraph.
Again, even at their worst, the characters were loveable enough that I had to know what happened to them, so it really frustrated me that this story fell flat.
undermeyou's review against another edition
5.0
I had a tough time rating this. I am not sure the plot ended up being my favorite story wise, but I did love the characters and the magical creatures as well as the writing itself. It felt very gothic, which is one of my favorite delivery systems for fantasy writing and one that I don't feel is done often recently. I am giving it 5 stars because it hit my entertainment button, but I have a feeling that I will not remember much from this by the time a new book in the series comes
Thank you to ECW & NetGalley for the ARC
Thank you to ECW & NetGalley for the ARC
piperkitty's review against another edition
2.0
Stars of Mount Quixx
Earc:NetGalley
Publisher: Ecw Press
Publication Date:25th April 2023
Genre :Teens and young adult
For starters, it was purely the mystery-fantasy element that drew me out of the book's description. I always finish fantasy romance books. But the Quixx mountain star wasn't precisely what I Expected. It Lacked some elements, and I didn't think the pace worked.
The book is prolonged, and I found it difficult to continue reading. But there is one thing I appreciate about this book, like the bond between the two sisters and the atmosphere of a small magical town. I liked the way he wrote S.M Beiko. I feel like this book is aimed at the incorrect age range. It would suit a younger audience. There was also the issue of writing the characters themselves. Three times the personalities of some characters were too similar for me to distinguish them.
Also, I wouldn't say I liked that most of the story was told through dialogue rather than an actual description. It was done through conversation, which made it difficult to do in this book. Overall, the story lacks character growth and feels aimed at the wrong audience. I think young viewers will enjoy this story.
The language was weird to get used to, as the story seems to be set in a quaint, quirky town in the 40s and 50s. It didn't help that the characters felt so young. It sounded like she was 11 or 12, but she was trying to look older.
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #teensandyoungadults
Earc:NetGalley
Publisher: Ecw Press
Publication Date:25th April 2023
Genre :Teens and young adult
For starters, it was purely the mystery-fantasy element that drew me out of the book's description. I always finish fantasy romance books. But the Quixx mountain star wasn't precisely what I Expected. It Lacked some elements, and I didn't think the pace worked.
The book is prolonged, and I found it difficult to continue reading. But there is one thing I appreciate about this book, like the bond between the two sisters and the atmosphere of a small magical town. I liked the way he wrote S.M Beiko. I feel like this book is aimed at the incorrect age range. It would suit a younger audience. There was also the issue of writing the characters themselves. Three times the personalities of some characters were too similar for me to distinguish them.
Also, I wouldn't say I liked that most of the story was told through dialogue rather than an actual description. It was done through conversation, which made it difficult to do in this book. Overall, the story lacks character growth and feels aimed at the wrong audience. I think young viewers will enjoy this story.
The language was weird to get used to, as the story seems to be set in a quaint, quirky town in the 40s and 50s. It didn't help that the characters felt so young. It sounded like she was 11 or 12, but she was trying to look older.
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #teensandyoungadults
allerner's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.5
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
This book didn’t manage to hold my attention for some reason. I’m not the target audience, but I read both middle grade and young adult books often. Somehow I just didn’t get into these characters, who are surrounded by flat type-characters like the batty old woman or the sneering musical bad boy. I kept losing focus and realized about halfway through that there was a sub plot about a band trying to purchase the inn from the batty old woman that I didn’t even realize was happening, so I figured I should throw in the towel. I was also a bit unsure about the whole Constance making an effort to apologize for misgendering Derek when they say they are gender fluid and use all pronouns, but then continuing to only use he/him pronouns.
izzadorah's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 This is a pretty cute and whimsical story. The first half (or 3/4) is pretty slow, but you get to know several characters pretty well so it's not a total drag. There are lots of examples of LGBTQ acceptance, which is refreshing. This book would probably be enjoyed most by a younger audience than I fit in, I could see myself enjoying the magical and slightly goofy world better if I read this in elementary or middle school. Still, I did enjoy it.
professorhelmkenreads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Stars of Mount Quixx was a darling story. I found that the narration of the story added a great deal to the plot, especially when the pacing may have felt a bit off, as the narrator added necessary emotion that explained what felt like missing context at times. What I think that this author did amazingly well, however, was the inclusion of a diverse cast of characters with a wide range of gender expression and orientations, woven seamlessly into a beautiful tale of love, lost and found. I adored the relationships that were built and am excited to see how the author decides to expand a story that felt like a standalone into a series!
reading_meg's review
3.0
Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press Audio for this ARC!
- This book is definitely very odd and fantastical! This would be a great read for anyone who likes mysterious ~vibes~ and lots of great queer characters.
- I agree with a lot of the other reviews that mention that this book is pretty hard to categorize. It doesn't feel very YA, but I wouldn't put it as a MG either. It's hard to pinpoint what time frame the book is inspired in, with a lot of conflicting clues (such as attitudes towards women from the 1800s, but also one of the characters is constantly described as wearing a zoot suit).
-I struggled with the characters that seemed to be the villains. They felt pretty superfluous throughout the book, and their POV chapters felt like they easily could have been cut without losing much.
- This book is so long, and the pacing is pretty slow at times. I definitely prefer faster paced books, so the audiobook was a lifesaver.
- There's simultaneously so much description and details, while also not enough worldbuilding for me to feel like I understand what's going on in the universe.
- This book is definitely very odd and fantastical! This would be a great read for anyone who likes mysterious ~vibes~ and lots of great queer characters.
- I agree with a lot of the other reviews that mention that this book is pretty hard to categorize. It doesn't feel very YA, but I wouldn't put it as a MG either. It's hard to pinpoint what time frame the book is inspired in, with a lot of conflicting clues (such as attitudes towards women from the 1800s, but also one of the characters is constantly described as wearing a zoot suit).
-I struggled with the characters that seemed to be the villains. They felt pretty superfluous throughout the book, and their POV chapters felt like they easily could have been cut without losing much.
- This book is so long, and the pacing is pretty slow at times. I definitely prefer faster paced books, so the audiobook was a lifesaver.
- There's simultaneously so much description and details, while also not enough worldbuilding for me to feel like I understand what's going on in the universe.