(Alphabetically by author’s surname, as my bookshelves are!)
Reviews with a * next to them CONTAIN SPOILERS.
A
Emma by Jane Austen – Romance/Humour
B
C
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – YA/Coming of Age
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson -Fantasy
D
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard – Fantasy
E
F
G
H
The Woman In Black by Susan Hill – Horror/Gothic Fiction
I
J
K
L
M
The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas (The Throne of Glass novellas) – Fantasy
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #4) – Fantasy
* Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #5) – Fantasy
N
Uprooted by Naomi Novik – Fantasy
O
P
Q
R
* Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany – Fantasy
Strange Secrets by Mike Russell – Surreal Fiction
S
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz – YA/ Coming of Age
Shades of Magic (Full Series) by V. E. Schwab – Fantasy
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera – YA contemporary
T
U
V
W
(Mini Review) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde – Gothic Fiction/Morality
X
Y
(Mini Review) Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon – Betrayal/Self-Discovery/Romance
Z
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner – YA contemporary
__________
It’s probably worthwhile mentioning here that I have a specific system for rating books! A book could contain one or more of these characteristics to be put in that category.
One Star (I really disliked it)
- I disliked the writing style a lot.
- There was no character I liked/no character I felt any emotion towards, or the protagonist was not three-dimensional.
- I wasn’t gripped by the plot at all.
- The book dealt with serious topics poorly.
Two Stars (I disliked it / Felt nothing towards it)
- The writing style was very basic or confusing.
- I didn’t mind the characters, but they were forgettable.
- The plot was unrealistic in the context/didn’t encourage me to want to keep reading.
Three Stars (It was okay)
- The writing style didn’t stand out, but wasn’t bad.
- There were some interesting characters.
- The plot was gripping in parts, or enough to keep me interested.
- It is unlikely I would ever read this book again.
Four Stars (I liked it / I liked it a lot)
- I really liked the writing style.
- The characters were very developed and believable.
- The plot gripped me throughout.
- I would consider reading this book again.
Five Stars (I loved it / Almost could not fault it)
- It was beautifully written.
- The characters were well-developed and complex.
- The plot was gripping, to the point where I almost could not put it down.
- The book had a profound impact on me.
- It is highly likely I would read this book again.
