iliyenzio's reviews
420 reviews

Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

It was interesting to learn about both Van Goghs. I just wish there was more information provided. It felt a bit light.
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really enjoyed this. I thought the magic system and the world was interesting and even though there were a few predictable moments, it wasn't enough to take me out of the story.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

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

1.0

It's short and there's not much room for development.
The Long War by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
It's just not for me right now.
The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.75

Unfortunately, this book was really disappointing..Maybe it's just because it came out after I aged out of the main series, but even after rereading the entire series, I still couldn't bring myself to like the book. The main three books and even the novellas hold up really well for a second read years later. This book was painfully dull in comparison. 

I know that there's a suspension of belief for these kinds of ya dystopian books and that's the genre works. Bracken created great characters that I will always love and her world-building was fantastic throughout the original series. I can understand characters changing as they grow but in The Darkest Legacy, much of Zu's perspective just doesn't feel right. In fact, all of the characters feel rather similar, create nicknames the same way, and don't feel like individual, hnique characters. 

The worst part, the part that make it so difficult to get through this book, was how Bracken seemed to completely change the rules of the book universe...which is bold, and could have been really cool. I only wish it worked.
Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

It was a nice light-hearted read. I didn't find it as interesting as the first one, but I am curious about the central mystery.
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

This was a really lovely conclusion to the series and I'm sad to have reached the last one. 
Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The collection was nice, but I wish there were other characters involved with it as well.
In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

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adventurous dark 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

3.75

Loved this series and I still do. It does follow some common tropes though (something more apparent in this book than the others), which can be vaguely frustrating but also understandable.
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

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adventurous dark 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

3.75

I used to love this series when I was younger. It still holds up pretty well.