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spinesinaline's reviews
791 reviews
The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Frenzy Books for an ARC to review!
I am not often a reader of horror and this one gets very, very close to the uncomfortable. This book had been sitting on my shelves for some time before I finally worked up the nerve to read it. It follows two high school girls, Adelle and Connie, who are obsessed with their favourite book and when a strange man who runs the local magic shop offers to cast a spell that will transport them inside that very book, they tentatively accept. Only the characters and this beloved setting have had strange developments when left to their own devices.
Content warnings for death, grief, gore, blood, excrement, panic attacks. There are some extremely disturbing scenes that I mostly tried not to think too much about. If you enjoy creepy stories, this is sure to be up your alley.
I am not often a reader of horror and this one gets very, very close to the uncomfortable. This book had been sitting on my shelves for some time before I finally worked up the nerve to read it. It follows two high school girls, Adelle and Connie, who are obsessed with their favourite book and when a strange man who runs the local magic shop offers to cast a spell that will transport them inside that very book, they tentatively accept. Only the characters and this beloved setting have had strange developments when left to their own devices.
Content warnings for death, grief, gore, blood, excrement, panic attacks. There are some extremely disturbing scenes that I mostly tried not to think too much about. If you enjoy creepy stories, this is sure to be up your alley.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Excrement
Junie by Chelene Knight
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
Thanks to ZG Stories for an ARC to review!
It’s as much a story about the history of Hogan's Alley as it is about family, particularly the mother-daughter relationships the blurb mentions, girlhood, and some beautiful explorations of art. It’s a deceptively quick read as the chapters are short and sweet (sometimes only three pages), each ending with a short snapshot that shifts into first person, offering us a more intimate view of the different characters’ inner feelings.
While I found the prose beautiful and the story heartfelt, I just wanted more! More delving into these characters and their individual stories and much more than the brief paragraphs we go exploring their wants and desires and needs. Still a beautiful book and I’ll certainly seek out more from this author.
It’s as much a story about the history of Hogan's Alley as it is about family, particularly the mother-daughter relationships the blurb mentions, girlhood, and some beautiful explorations of art. It’s a deceptively quick read as the chapters are short and sweet (sometimes only three pages), each ending with a short snapshot that shifts into first person, offering us a more intimate view of the different characters’ inner feelings.
While I found the prose beautiful and the story heartfelt, I just wanted more! More delving into these characters and their individual stories and much more than the brief paragraphs we go exploring their wants and desires and needs. Still a beautiful book and I’ll certainly seek out more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75
Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for an ARC of this one. I was very intrigued in both a Toronto setting and a loose retelling of Persuasion, but it felt like it really missed the mark on the second. It is a compelling story: the main character is struggling in her career after a devastating theft by her business partner, and now has to face her ever-successful ex-beau.
The part that really brought this down for me was the love interest. Persuasion is in part a story of young lovers separated by family and finding each other again as adults, with all the maturity that this passage of time has brought them. This book has some of that except the love interest has none of the maturity. The main character has a lot of valid reasons and feelings that her young self expresses and I wish we could’ve seen other characters validate this as well, especially around her concerns of sexist treatment. Instead, she’s made to feel wrong and somehow the villain in this relationship, with no responsibility placed on her ex/love interest. This book got so close to some real revelations but ultimately felt short in making this man some beloved fictional placeholder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Islamophobia, and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism and Mental illness
The Space Between Here and Now by Sarah Suk
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
Thanks to Frenzy Reads for an ARC! This is a really fun premise, a little fantastical while still being set in our real world.
It's such a wonderful group of characters and there's a beautiful, complicated father-daughter relationship that delves into all the messy, tense, awkward, loving, and painful moments that can make up such a relationship. I really enjoyed the family drama here, plus the mystery aspects which added some surprises to the plot.
It's such a wonderful group of characters and there's a beautiful, complicated father-daughter relationship that delves into all the messy, tense, awkward, loving, and painful moments that can make up such a relationship. I really enjoyed the family drama here, plus the mystery aspects which added some surprises to the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I had had this novella on my TBR for some time before realizing this year that it was available for free on Tor.com! It was so much more devastating and disturbing than I ever anticipated.
It’s almost a familiar tale with this more historical take on Rumpelstiltskin. I don’t know how much of this version comes from actual shared tales but in this version the “Rumpelstiltskin” character is a demon who the family have managed to make deals with in order to keep their descendants safe. Taking these more fantastical aspects, the author also creates a traumatic story of a family experiencing the Jewish pogroms in Europe and their difficulties in immigrating to a new home.
I would not say this was a feel-good story and I’m not sure I would’ve read it if I’d known where it was going but it certainly gave some interesting additions to what I knew of this tale and the more real history.
It’s almost a familiar tale with this more historical take on Rumpelstiltskin. I don’t know how much of this version comes from actual shared tales but in this version the “Rumpelstiltskin” character is a demon who the family have managed to make deals with in order to keep their descendants safe. Taking these more fantastical aspects, the author also creates a traumatic story of a family experiencing the Jewish pogroms in Europe and their difficulties in immigrating to a new home.
I would not say this was a feel-good story and I’m not sure I would’ve read it if I’d known where it was going but it certainly gave some interesting additions to what I knew of this tale and the more real history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Death, and Miscarriage
Simple Recipes: Stories by Madeleine Thien
emotional
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
4.25
The blurb hints at it but these stories are about complicated feelings around family. They are not easy reads though many of them seem to start that way, slowly reeling you in until you’re aware of the tense or awkward or downright abusive undercurrents guiding each character.
Many of these stories focus on father figures and their relationships with their children. Some of my favourite stories were “Simple Recipes”, a story of a father who teaches his daughter how to prepare rice but has a fraught relationship with his son; “House”, where the children await the return of their long-missing mother; and “A Map of the City” about a father who brings his daughter to his furniture store each day and longs for his home country.
There are so many Vancouver touches in the stories, mentions of city landmarks or street names that were a lovely little touch to pick up on as a reader in the same city. As with most short story collections I read, I would love to go through this one again to find even more to enjoy in each story.
Many of these stories focus on father figures and their relationships with their children. Some of my favourite stories were “Simple Recipes”, a story of a father who teaches his daughter how to prepare rice but has a fraught relationship with his son; “House”, where the children await the return of their long-missing mother; and “A Map of the City” about a father who brings his daughter to his furniture store each day and longs for his home country.
There are so many Vancouver touches in the stories, mentions of city landmarks or street names that were a lovely little touch to pick up on as a reader in the same city. As with most short story collections I read, I would love to go through this one again to find even more to enjoy in each story.
The Accident by Ismail Kadare
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is one of the more confusing books I’ve read lately, especially since I know very little of the Balkan wars or the history of the Soviet Union. You’ll definitely have an easier time grasping the context, and consequences, around the characters if you do know this historical background though as much as the story is centred in political activity, it’s really a very curious story about two individuals who are romantically involved.
I was very intrigued by the mystery from the blurb (who are these two people? What caused the crash? What was this kiss?). And thoroughly confused all the way through! I think this is one that would benefit from multiple readings because even if you know the history, there are so many perspectives and constant jumping around in time (sometimes with no indication of a jump) that it’s a lot of information to keep straight. My main question at the end was what does any of it mean? While I wish some of the perspectives and timelines could’ve been marked more clearly, it was still an interesting tale.
I was very intrigued by the mystery from the blurb (who are these two people? What caused the crash? What was this kiss?). And thoroughly confused all the way through! I think this is one that would benefit from multiple readings because even if you know the history, there are so many perspectives and constant jumping around in time (sometimes with no indication of a jump) that it’s a lot of information to keep straight. My main question at the end was what does any of it mean? While I wish some of the perspectives and timelines could’ve been marked more clearly, it was still an interesting tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Car accident
Moderate: Murder
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Overall I liked this book but it was an okay read. There were some things that really annoyed me, both in the main character’s personality and in logistics (when you write an obituary and submit it at midnight, it will not appear in the next morning’s paper, it was already sent to print).
I thought the romance was sweet but as I wasn’t sure where this story was going – is it a romance? A fantasy? A ghost story with a moral? – I was confused about what possible resolution there could be between a girl and her lover ghost.
I predicted some of the twists and other obvious revelations were only delayed because the main character kept unknowingly cutting people off which made the revelation more obvious, but it’s quite a funny read and something quick for a cute story about two people stuck in a little town at an uncomfortable time.
I thought the romance was sweet but as I wasn’t sure where this story was going – is it a romance? A fantasy? A ghost story with a moral? – I was confused about what possible resolution there could be between a girl and her lover ghost.
I predicted some of the twists and other obvious revelations were only delayed because the main character kept unknowingly cutting people off which made the revelation more obvious, but it’s quite a funny read and something quick for a cute story about two people stuck in a little town at an uncomfortable time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual content
Minor: Murder and Car accident
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and War
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
funny
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.25
This is a very cute story while also heavily diving into past trauma around familial abandonment and abuse. A romance is at the heart of this one, with the most sunshiny and grumpy opposites you could have, but the whole cast of characters is such a lovely group! It’s a beautiful found family and they make this big house feel like home not just for Mika but for the readers too.
One point I will say felt highly unrealistic had nothing to do with magic. The librarian loans out his rare collection to people across the world, but as that increases the likelihood of books being lost, his main job is to digitize every single book in the library. As someone whose job it is to digitize materials, this kind of fantasy about the ease and speed of digitization is why people complain about us not having everything in our archives available online. But that aside, we love a library in a book.
There are some clever twists throughout and I’d love to reread to pick up on all the subtle hints the author leaves us. I didn’t read this during the holidays but it does take place right around Christmas so if you like a timely read, I’d recommend this one this season!
One point I will say felt highly unrealistic had nothing to do with magic. The librarian loans out his rare collection to people across the world, but as that increases the likelihood of books being lost, his main job is to digitize every single book in the library. As someone whose job it is to digitize materials, this kind of fantasy about the ease and speed of digitization is why people complain about us not having everything in our archives available online. But that aside, we love a library in a book.
There are some clever twists throughout and I’d love to reread to pick up on all the subtle hints the author leaves us. I didn’t read this during the holidays but it does take place right around Christmas so if you like a timely read, I’d recommend this one this season!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Homophobia and Racism