Bryce

I received an uncorrected proof of this book through NetGalley.

If you enjoy well-written, engaging mystery/thriller adventures, The Beast of Barcroft is a great choice. It does exactly what it sets out to do, and it does it well. It's suspenseful and a little creepy, with some great characters and writing. There's a plot hole here and there, a line of dialogue that doesn't quite work, a twist that feels a bit too over the top. But I can honestly say that none of those things made the story any less fun.

It's fairly short (but not too short), cheap, and easy to get invested in. If the premise sounds interesting to you, I have a good feeling you won't be disappointed.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley.Bill Schweigart knows how to write a good monster story. Is that how you would describe this book? Creature-horror-action-adventure, maybe. [b:The Beast of Barcroft 25300888 The Beast of Barcroft Bill Schweigart https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442245408s/25300888.jpg 45028658] was a really enjoyable read, and I'm happy to say that this sequel is a worthy addition to what looks to be a series. For all the action, genuinely creepy bits of horror, and interesting takes on some creature myths, what makes both Northwoods and its predecessor a cut above schlocky action-horror fare is the characterization. This author writes characters that are distinctive, developed, and fun to spend time with (not to mention diverse without a big show being made of it). That is what made both of these novels so fun to read, or at least more fun than they would have been otherwise.Now to wait for book 3.

I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.

There's nothing I dislike more than a book—or a movie or any other type of media—that leaves next to no impression. This isn't a bad novel, it just felt so utterly bland to me that its positive elements barely stood out. As a coming-of-age story, it's forgettable with characters that aren't all that interesting or well-written. It felt like the author was blending a bunch of disparate sitcom plots together, and the result is over-the-top without the fun you'd expect from that. As a satirical look at religion and self-righteousness and church “culture” as a whole, it has a few scattered moments that stood out as clever. You can feel it building toward some smart observation or funny scene, but it sputters out before it gets there.

I don't think this is a very good book, but the worst thing about For The Love Of Mary is how unremarkable it is.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley.

“It's way too much pressure, choosing someone, having someone else's life and whatnot mashed in with yours, when you don't even know what you're doing with your own stuff.”

I started out think this book was charming and fairly enjoyable but nothing really special. No, it's not all that original in the overall plot, but it has so much character and heart that I couldn't help but love it. Solid 4.5 stars here, for me.

The characters are distinctive and just plain fun to be around, there's a kindness and warmth to these characters and their relationships that I really appreciated. Alba, Grady, and most of the supporting cast (though especially Alba) feel real, and they're so easily likable that you're along for the ride from the first chapter. This is a very light read, but it has some surprising emotional heft at times, due in large part to the authenticity of the characters and their world. Plus, it has a nicely-realized theme of uncertainty about the future that is MUCH more relatable than, “so many boys are in love with me and also I'm the chosen one.” I really liked this one!

I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.

I'm not the intended audience for this type of book, and I can't imagine myself seeking it out if it wasn't free. I tried to keep an open mind going in, thinking that maybe Ransom Canyon will overcome my preconceived notions and turn out to be pretty good. There are some charming moments, it's an easy read, but it isn't going to win over anyone that isn't already a fan of this brand of romance novel.

Every time I started to get into the story, the clunky and inauthentic dialogue took me right out again. The dialogue is not good, at all. I think at least half of the terribly stilted lines would have been improved if someone had just tried speaking them out loud. No one uses contractions (hard to explain why that bothered me so much, but it's noticeable) or anything really resembling natural speech.

I can forgive a lot of the corniness in a book that's aiming to be a light, feel-good romance. I can forgive some of the weirdly rushed romances between some of the characters. I can forgive a lot when I understand what a book is going for, even if I don't personally like it. What I can't forgive is dialogue so unnatural that it frequently took me out of the story. If you know what you're getting into and like this genre: use caution. If you're not a fan of the genre but somehow think this one will change your mind: ehhhh... Good luck.

I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley.

On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light is a depressing book. It's not a melodramatic tearjerker, it's a well-drawn and deeply felt novel about broken, lonely people. It's also pretty damn funny at times, and truly warm moments are scattered throughout, just when the darkness has begun to grow overwhelming. Many of the people here are pretty awful, but they're complex. As much as I hated them, and as frustrated as I grew at their selfish behavior, I could see why they acted the way that they did.

Strube's novel is frequently hopeless and hopelessly depressing. It packs an emotional punch. Actually, that's not quite true. It's not just one punch with a shocking twist or ending, it's like being repeatedly punched in the heart every few pages. Am I making this sound like a fun read? It's sad, for sure, but the moments of hope and beauty and humor are placed just where they're needed. On The Shores of Darkness isn't a cheery story, but it's a powerful and very human one.

I liked this volume just as much as the first, and I'm excited for the next one!

I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley.

If you enjoy old-fashioned period mysteries, you might like this. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but if you read and enjoyed them, I'm sure you'll like this. It's perfectly well-executed, but it couldn't hold my attention for more than a couple chapters at a time. I'm usually a pretty fast reader, but this book felt like it took years to get through because I just could not bring myself to take any interest in anything that happened. The mystery wasn't interesting, the characters weren't interesting, nothing about it was actually interesting for me.

It isn't even bad in any significant way, just painfully dull. It wasn't even interesting enough to hate.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.

This novel, centered around a transgender hairdresser and the murder investigation following her, feels real and authentic to a level I didn't expect. I loved Bobbi Logan, and I feel like I gained some genuine insight on what it's like to be a trans person, likely due to the fact that Renee James is both transgender herself and an excellent writer.

The central “mystery,” if you can call it that, is really secondary to the story of Bobbi's life and relationships with the people around her. One of the central themes of the book is that outward appearances can be deceiving, and people can change/be much different than you thought initially. The warmth that radiates from the main character (and the book itself) makes this theme feel true and moving, but even with that warmth, the book never shies away from the violence, bigotry, and turmoil trans people often face. The characters in A Kind of Justice are so well-drawn and compassionately written that it might even make you think twice about easy judgments, and that's a takeaway message that couldn't be more necessary in the world.

I received an uncorrected ARC of this book through NetGalley.

This was more of a 3.5 for me, but still very enjoyable. I liked the main characters a lot, and this is a book that lives and dies on the strength of its characters. Stella seemed a little too precocious/wise beyond her years at first (really not a fan of those types of kid characters), but I ended up really liking her, and it was awesome to see a young trans person presented in such a respectful way. The author doesn't shy away from issues that a person like her would likely face (bullying, etc.), but she's not defined by her gender identity. She's a well-rounded character and one of the highlights of the book for me.

The ice age-like apocalyptic backdrop adds some drama and tension to a story that otherwise wouldn't have much, but I would have liked some more answers regarding that. As is, The Sunlight Pilgrims is a good character-driven story about family that just happens to be set during what is most likely the apocalypse. I liked it.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

This book is based on a comic strip that I've never read, but you don't need any prior knowledge of the comic to understand this story. It's very much a comic in novel form, low-stakes, funny, and charming in a way that feels like a longer version of a sitcom episode. It's a quick and light read with a sense of fun and optimism that made it easy to like. The writing is in service of the characters and humor, no more and no less.

I wasn't blown away, but it's a decent book to spend a few hours with.

I like this series a lot. The characters are all likable and pleasant and each issue is funny, lighthearted, and kind of sweet.

Definitely my favorite volume so far. More emotion and development of the story.

I'm still not sure how to rate this book. The utopian city the main character lives in is a hard sell, as nice of a thought as it might be. I really like the idea of LGBT books (especially YA LGBT books) that are pure escapist fantasies, because that can be a very positive and inspiring thing, but parts of this book just feel inauthentic for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. Some of the characters and dialogue feel too quirky and clever for their own good, and that makes even the good moments ring hollow. Still, it was a hard book for me to truly dislike. It's short, mostly enjoyable fluff, though it could have been much better.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

Quick and entertaining, the art didn't add all that much but the breakup stories were amusing (and sometimes appropriately horrifying) so I don't have a ton of complaints. It does what it sets out to do pretty well.

I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley.

I did enjoy parts of this book, it had some imagination and it all felt pretty well put-together. However, I really didn't care for the story, characters, or art. I've read/seen enough variations on this concept before (character from a fantasy realm coming to the “real world”), and there aren't any groundbreaking elements in this first book that make this story seem worth repeating. The publisher describes Waking Life as “Enchanted meets Degrassi,” and while that does sound pretty fun, it doesn't have the wit of Enchanted or the (sort-of) authenticity of Degrassi. It all feels very by-the-numbers. As for the art, that's obviously going to be a matter of opinion, but I just didn't find it engaging or appealing in the slightest. Maybe Book 2 will bring some much needed originality to the story.

A short, sweet holiday romance. I wasn't blown away by the writing, and though I thought it was a cute story, it just ends up being okay. There isn't enough here for me, not enough personality in the writing and even in the characters - beyond mostly surface-level quirks and backstories that are never really explored. Enjoyable enough, just not much more.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

This was pretty meh, but kind of cute. My favorite story was Ninja-rella, I liked the art and the story more than any of the others. The Super Billy Goats Gruff one was pretty clever too, the others didn't really make an impression.

I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley.

I liked seeing these stories that I've read so many times adapted as manga, the art looks nice and really conveyed the mood and atmosphere. Overall, very solid collection!

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

For a story that's so character-driven, I really didn't care for the characters. I found myself warming to them as I read, but for the most part I found Wotakoi to be pretty generic and not all that engaging or funny. It's decently enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but I doubt I'll remember it or have a desire to read any of the other volumes.

I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley.

I liked it more than I thought I would. This book collects the first 6 issues, and the first issue was interesting but nothing too amazing. As this volume continued and started to get deeper into the plot, I found that I genuinely wanted to know where things would go. I like the art, the characters seem like they could be interesting (even if only a few of them grabbed me in this volume), and overall I think this is a solid start to a series.

I received a free ARC of this book through Net Galley.

This was a nice, simple, sweet story with art that was lovely to look at and well-suited to the tone of the story. I do wish it hadn't been quite so simple, because the overly-cartoonish villain did ruin the gentle, melancholy mood of the story for me, and I would have liked a little more time spent with the ghosts. I really would have liked less of the broad strokes of middle-grade fiction (villain, generic bullies) and more time with the main characters. With that said, I still found myself smiling and enjoying the book for what it was, flaws and all.

Interesting concept executed pretty well, good atmosphere and writing. I don't have any major complaints, it just didn't blow me away. Pretty solid horror (ish?) novel.

This was a nice read, very low-key and slice-of-life. It felt that the book was building to an emotional climax that never truly came–at least not like I had hoped/expected.

I liked this one more than the last, but I don't really care where it goes from here.