ect625's reviews
89 reviews

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

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

5.0

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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

2.5

Weird. Weird, weird, weird.

The concept of the plot is interesting but the execution was really confusing. It would have been better for me if the narrator explained what was going on instead of me stumbling along. There was also an unnecessary plot twist that changed the perspective on everything. If the same murder mystery story was told in a more traditional way, then I probably would have enjoyed it more. Can't wait to talk about it in my book club!

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Wideacre by Philippa Gregory

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
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Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

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

4.25

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

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

3.0

Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent

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

5.0

Finale by Stephanie Garber

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

3.75

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

Tower of Dawn was just what I needed after the emotional crush of Empire of Storms. (I did not do the tandem read.) I've been a Choal fan all along, and I enjoyed the time getting to know him better. Also, SJM needed a plausible reason/plot line for bringing in the other characters
to return to fight Erawan with Aelin
and shifting the focus to Chaol for a book was a way to do that. I don't know yet the importance that they're going to play on KOA, but clearly SJM thought they deserved a whole book dedicated to setting up their story and presence.

There are as many opinions about the tandem read as there are about when to read Assassin's Blade, and I was very satisfied with reading them separately. Because of the intensity of the cliffhanger at the end of EOS, I needed a breather before starting KOA and TOD was perfect for that. SJM is the expert on her own writing, and she knew what she was doing with these two books.

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Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

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

4.0

This was a cute little mystery that was sprinkled with a bit of intrigue in post-occupation Paris. The historical references were a surprising and interesting part of the book.