natoriety's reviews
249 reviews

The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire, Part Three by Michael Dante DiMartino

adventurous emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire, Part Two by Michael Dante DiMartino

adventurous inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

I would say that I enjoyed greatly the majority of the book for what it was. The relationships between the characters and their personal arcs were greatly entertaining and amusing.

Now to the critique because I feel all of us hold a bit of it:

While seeing into the heads of the people that Ezra chose was a very interesting idea, I dare say that the execution was quite poor and by the end of it we just learned barely enough for some characters that either didn’t appear again or failed to deliver anything interesting to the plot. Perhaps the only exceptions here would be Belen and Nothazai, who by the end of the book also disappointed a bit.

Talking about disappointment, the whole build-up between Callum and Tristan straight up killed me. Their moments and chapters were my favourite, so you can imagine how let down I was when it all ended with one bullet to Callum’s chest. It was so very unnecessary to me to kill the one character that had so much personality and rediscovered hope for life. Perhaps the only saving grace here is that we got to see Callum and Tristan got quite a few happy endings in other universes and I choose to live believing in them instead.

Libby is another character in whose arc I was really invested and expectant of her possibilities. She became but a narcissistic murderer. The fact that she not only killed Nico but then had the audacity to say she didn’t regret it but then went on to feel bad for herself was too much for me. She went from a favourite character to one that I absolutely cannot stand now. I wouldn’t say her arc was done badly, in fact, it was very well written. I simply am not a fan of what she turned into, who she sacrificed and the fact that she faced ZERO consequences at the end.

I also feel there could be more expansion on Reina in general. Her arc felt very rushed and incomplete by the end and only left me with more questions than anything.

All in all, I would still say this was a very enjoyable book that developed in a pretty much expected ending when one considers the ideas the whole series conveys. I would also have rathered a different ending, but I believe Blake handled well the story she wanted to tell. To me, it was a story of hope, corruption and inevitable failure at redemption. I would say this was suitable in spite of my personal bias.

The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire, Part One by Michael Dante DiMartino

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a sequel I did not know what to expect of and although the beginning was slower than I would have enjoyed, in the end it did live up to the expectation set up by the first book. 

I found myself even more invested in certain characters (Looking at you, Callum.) and even more confused by others (Yes, it’s you, Reina. Although i understand your insecurities, the way you dealt with them would forever be illogical to me.)

I deeply hope that the last book delivers the answers to the remaining questions I have and hopefully I avoid being left as distraught as other readers.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Going into this book, I wasn’t sure how I would like it or whether I would enjoy reading it as much as it is so different from the books I usually read. Despite my worries, this turned out not only to be a breath of fresh air but also an amazing read. Adichie has a very submersible way of writing and I found myself deeply empathising with her characters. The main cast were so complex and though not all (Papa) were likeable I could still see the reasoning behind what they did and part of their psychic (Mama). I like the way in which the book developed in the end and the way in which it resolved the majority of the conflicts introduced. Especially refreshing was the hopefulness from the ending. Ultimately, I would say this is an amazing book and I am shocked it took me a literature class to discover its greatness; more people should set aside some time to read this and consider the implications of this masterpiece.

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars, Part Three by Michael Dante DiMartino

adventurous inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

It was an interesting idea and I liked how it was started. The development itself was quite clever and I did not seem a few of the turning events. However, there is something about the writing style itself that didn’t sit well with me. Aside from that though it was a very good read and I will be picking up the next two books in the series.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

As per always, V. E. Schwab delivers another masterpiece that I must adore. 

The storytelling in this one was so beautiful and the atmosphere was one of a kind. I loved the constant jumps between present and past and all the sides we got to see to all of the characters. Up until the very end I was not certain whether Luc would be the one to win Addie or whether she would have it her way and remain with Henry. 

And the detail of Henry actually writing this same book is so mind blowing to me! I really love that detail!

Needless to say, Addie LaRue is now part of my favourite books stack.