top of page

Book Reviews

We all have those books that we would practically die for, along with those that we cannot even seem to finish because they do not resonate with us. Often when that happens, I know I like to look up others' feelings regarding the book as well, and I resort to Google. The posts on this page will be my reviews of books I have read, the top being the most recent on I have read. Please respect that these are my opinions, and I respect if yours may differ. That is the beauty of individuality and the ability to choose our preferences.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Published: October 15, 2015

Read: September 2019

    When I first picked up this book, I was very hesitant. I do not normally like novels written in the way of documents and interviews. However, the way these authors did it is beautiful. They even utilized the coloring of the page to bring the story to life, to give it a uniqueness unlike any other book I have read. It has not been a while since a book had me so attached to characters that I cried, but this book managed to do just that.

    This is a lengthy book, coming in at 602 pages hardcover. However, it is a rollercoaster of a ride, beginning immediately with action. I finished it in two days because I was so enthralled by it. If you are a fan of science fiction novels, I highly recommend this book, along with the trilogy that goes it. Rating: 8/10 

Posted May 8, 2020

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Published: July 5, 2012

Read: June 2020

    This book starts out with one of my favorite fantasy tropes: an underdog, unnoticed orphan that turns out to have immense power. However, it quickly becomes so much more than that. Bardugo manages to create a world with such a unique system of magic that you cannot help but be enthralled by, let alone with the brilliant characters and plot twists within. Told from a first person POV through Alina Starkov, we do not know what the future holds for her until she does.

     This book is the first in a trilogy, and I have every intention of reading the next two. I am too invested in Alina and Mal's adventures to let this go. Rating 9/10

Posted July 27, 2020

Crown of Shards Trilogy by Jennifer Estep

Published: November 2, 2018; August 2, 2019; April 17, 2020

Read: June 2020

    I received the first book in the trilogy through my subscription to Scribbler, and it was several months before I decided to read it. However, once I did, I could not put the book down. I finished the first one within two days and immediately ordered the next two from Amazon, finishing the trilogy within 1.5 weeks. There are a few short but explicit scenes, so I would recommend allowing children to read them with caution. Once again, it has my favorite trope of an orphan rising to the top and holding immense magical power. 

    The only drawback I would see from this series is the amount of detail put into descriptions. Don't get me wrong, I love in-depth descriptions—I put them in my own novels, after all—but I found even myself skipping some of the description paragraphs. Otherwise, Estep created such complex relationships between the characters that I found myself worrying for them more than I normally do when reading. Rating: 6/10

Posted July 27, 2020

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

Published: October 20, 2020

Read: November 2020

     I received this book as a part of one of my monthly writer subscriptions (SpearCraft Book Box, highly recommend.) Poston writes from a multi-first-person-POV, denoting which character is the narrator for the chapter with their name. The premise behind the concept and lore of the story were fascinating, as were some of the plot twists. However, to me, the ending felt a little...rushed. Not that it was a bad ending, it just came very abruptly in my opinion. Nonetheless, I would still recommend this book to other fantasy readers. Rating: 7/10

Posted December 16, 2020

 

© 2025 Danielle Barth

bottom of page