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shereadytoread's Reviews (822)
adventurous
tense
This is a solid sci-fi adventure! There is a little less xenomorph action than I would want but a solid plot line of the xeno experimentation that we see in the films. I am excited to see if this will be a continued arc. I would love to follow these characters on further missions.
I liked Mae’s character arc and how they tied the two timelines together. The timelines are not terribly far apart, which kept the story pacing pretty similar no matter which timeline you were in.
Probably the biggest issue for me was having dual timelines but no indication at the beginning of each chapter which timeline they were in until you read through.
Disclosure: I received a free gifted copy from the publisher.
I liked Mae’s character arc and how they tied the two timelines together. The timelines are not terribly far apart, which kept the story pacing pretty similar no matter which timeline you were in.
Probably the biggest issue for me was having dual timelines but no indication at the beginning of each chapter which timeline they were in until you read through.
Disclosure: I received a free gifted copy from the publisher.
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a book that I'd give 4 stars for the actual story/plot and then 5 stars for the originality of the ideas. This book put such an interesting spin on the realities of a self-sacrificing eldest daughter.
I loved that the relationships between the siblings were fraught with conflict and extremely fractured, but it wasn't ever an indication of their feelings for each other, but their feelings about themselves and their different paths on their own.
I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!
I loved that the relationships between the siblings were fraught with conflict and extremely fractured, but it wasn't ever an indication of their feelings for each other, but their feelings about themselves and their different paths on their own.
I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!
dark
tense
This was an interesting twist on a frankenstein story. Creating life that you can't control for the sake of innovation, with some meditation on the definition of humanity and being. The book has a good tension and pacing throughout. The story is rather quick, taking place over a single afternoon which I think made me like it better. Once it gets started, it keeps moving until the end.
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked but didn't love this one. It definitely captured the "past" of the malls, but the character's choices didn't make too much sense to me after a certain point. Mannequins are scary so it gets some automatic points for that but the ending felt like it undermined a lot of the story to me.
emotional
funny
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my second read by Rosie Danan and the first one was 1 star. I was hesitant to pick this one up, but I found the premise interesting. I am glad that I didn't skip this one because it was exactly what I was wanting! It was a little slower in the first 30%, but after the first 100 pages the pace picked up a lot.
I am not a fan of the age gap trope but I liked how the relationship and connection was established in the past and then the differences in the future. It is not a spice heavy book but there are a few open door scenes that flowed well with the story and actually had a purpose in the story outside of just the intimacy developing which I thought made the story flow better.
The banter between the chracters was pretty good and outside of a single Twilight reference that was really cringe, she kept the pop culture references to a pretty comfortable minimum (also there was a fresh prince of bel-air reference that returned the brownie points I took for the twilight line haha).
I liked that Alex is a main character that has convictions and stands for something. She constantly reminds and tries to stick with her values. Even when she falls short of that, it playedn important role in the plot. It made her world feel really full of having friends, enemies, family, and causes that are important to her. I wish there was a little more balance for the same with Devin, but it didn't feel too far off.
I am not a fan of the age gap trope but I liked how the relationship and connection was established in the past and then the differences in the future. It is not a spice heavy book but there are a few open door scenes that flowed well with the story and actually had a purpose in the story outside of just the intimacy developing which I thought made the story flow better.
The banter between the chracters was pretty good and outside of a single Twilight reference that was really cringe, she kept the pop culture references to a pretty comfortable minimum (also there was a fresh prince of bel-air reference that returned the brownie points I took for the twilight line haha).
I liked that Alex is a main character that has convictions and stands for something. She constantly reminds and tries to stick with her values. Even when she falls short of that, it playedn important role in the plot. It made her world feel really full of having friends, enemies, family, and causes that are important to her. I wish there was a little more balance for the same with Devin, but it didn't feel too far off.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Sexual harassment
No issue with the book but the eARC I received had no text only pictures so I couldn’t actually read it 😂
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a fun romp. A sci-fi take on classic universal monsters in cycles of “humanity” vs terror. There are many nods to classic movies and literature, along with an engaging story all its own.
The AI characters, Demeter and Steward have such great character ARCs and our human(ish) additions each bring unique perspectives that I loved.
I had so much fun with this one, I ended up reading most of it in a single sitting.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ARC from the publisher.
The AI characters, Demeter and Steward have such great character ARCs and our human(ish) additions each bring unique perspectives that I loved.
I had so much fun with this one, I ended up reading most of it in a single sitting.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ARC from the publisher.
dark
emotional
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun one! The story of a dark entity that travels through livestreams manages to tackle themes of social isolation, grief, regret, gender identity exploration, and acceptance.
I thought it had some great representation of agoraphobia and trauma responses. The family’s differing reactions to her mental health issues were also really well done (showing realistic reactions).
Disclosure: I received an eARC and gifted finished copy from the publisher.
I thought it had some great representation of agoraphobia and trauma responses. The family’s differing reactions to her mental health issues were also really well done (showing realistic reactions).
Disclosure: I received an eARC and gifted finished copy from the publisher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Transphobia, Violence
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my second time giving Taylor Adams a try after No Exit. My issues with this one are similar to my issues with that one.
It sacrifices a coherent narrative for the sake of unnecessary plot twists, many of which invalidate large parts of the previous narrative for no reason. Plot twists that don’t actually serve the plot take away from the actual story.
Plus a demonization of mental health using a specific mental health disorder that is poorly applied to a character.
I think the premise is interesting but the execution doesn’t work for me. This is going to be my last read by this author.
It sacrifices a coherent narrative for the sake of unnecessary plot twists, many of which invalidate large parts of the previous narrative for no reason. Plot twists that don’t actually serve the plot take away from the actual story.
Plus a demonization of mental health using a specific mental health disorder that is poorly applied to a character.
I think the premise is interesting but the execution doesn’t work for me. This is going to be my last read by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Misogyny
informative
medium-paced
The subtitle of science of horror is spot on. From start to finish this is a book about the science of how our brains respond to horror, research regarding human behavior and horror, and the how that science impacts the creation of horror films.
This is the first wide span book about the horror film industry (not niche to a specific movie or subject) that I feel I’ve learned a lot. As a person that loves horror nonfic, many are very entry level.
This is the first wide span book about the horror film industry (not niche to a specific movie or subject) that I feel I’ve learned a lot. As a person that loves horror nonfic, many are very entry level.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence