Tag: 3 Star Reviews

All 3 Stars Reviews In One Place

“Fairest of All” By Serena Valentino Review

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For anyone who’s seen Walt Disney’s Snow White, you’ll know that the Wicked Queen is one evil woman! After all, it’s not everyone who wants to cut out their teenage step-daughter’s heart and have it delivered back in a locked keepsake box. (And even if this sort of thing is a common urge, we don’t know many people who have acted upon it.) Now, for the first time, we’ll examine the life of the Wicked Queen and find out just what it is that makes her so nasty. Here’s a hint: the creepy-looking man in the magic mirror is not just some random spooky visage—and he just might have something to do with the Queen’s wicked ways!

I gotta say that I’ve heard a lot of good about this series, and at the same time, I was very interested in reading this series ever since I found out that it was a thing. And now I finally did read it. So if you are interested in hearing my thoughts about this book, then continue reading this review.

First of all, the plot in this book was interesting and enjoyable. I had very high expectations for this book (and this series as a whole), and I gotta admit here that this book didn’t live up to all of my expectations I had for it. 

The plot was interesting, as I’ve said above, but I felt like there was something missing in here. Because we only see a very little of the Wicked Queen’s backstory and her transformation from being the good stepmother to being the Wicked Queen. Which in a way disappointed me in a way. I wanted to see more of her transformation into the Wicked Queen. 

But overall I really liked the plot because I found it to be very engaging and fun to read, even thou it had some downhill moments throughout this book. The plot itself is very depressing, and said that really made me very depressed at times because of all the sad things that happen in this book, which really made me give this book extra points for. Because when the transformation for Wicked Queen arrives, she is completely justified for turning into the bad guy because of all the depressing things she faces in this book.

The characters here felt shallow and very one-dimensional if you compare them to the characters we got in the snow white movies (not including the Rachel Zegler snow white movie because that movie was a dumpster fire of everything snow white stands for). 

The characters we got in this book didn’t feel like the same characters we got in the snow white movies, which in a way disappointed me. But I really liked the Wicked Queen in this book because the author was able to really make Wicked Queen really likable and not only the “bad bitch” which we got in the snow white movies. Which really made me like this book more.

The writing style is very easy and simple. In a way, it felt way too simple and easy for my liking. Goodreads says that this book is a Young Adult book, but the writing style in this book aims more towards middle school readers rather than young adult readers. 

But the writing style really played well with the plot in this book, because both of them are very simple and easygoing. Which really made me give this book some extra points for doing. 

However, this book tends to change perspectives mid-chapter, which really annoyed me a lot. I found it to be very confusing and annoying. Which really made me not like this book as much as I wanted to. 

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“The ZooHunters: Preview” By Peter Steigerwald Review

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Check out Aspen’s FCBD offering of The ZooHunters in addition to exclusive sketches and character designs for Aspen’s space action-adventure series from Peter Steigerwald!

Let me start this review by saying that this one is just a preview for the entire comic book. And I read it because I wanted to see if the full comic book was worth the money and time I would spend on it. And I’m gonna give you the answer for that at the end of this review.

This preview sets up a fascinating universe where hunting exotic creatures is the norm. Which remind me a little bit of star wars and the creatures we find in the star wars universe  which made me give this preview some extra points for.

The concept of this preview is creative and intriguing, and in a way it had engaged me in the expansive world filled with potential adventures which this preview presents us.

But I gotta admit here that the storyline feels at times pretty basic and introductory. Because this preview leaves some plot elements unexplored because this is only the preview of the full version of a comic book. But still it annoyed me a little bit since the plot elements I was interested in, in this preview were left unexplored at the end of this preview. 

The characters we are introduced to in this preview have a lot of potential to be very good characters in the full version of this comic book. 

All of the characters we get in this preview hints of having a lot of complexity and depth in the full version of this comic book, which in a way got me interested in the full version of this comic book. 

However this preview annoyed me a lot because this preview doesn’t give us the characters’s backgrounds or personalities. Because I really wanted to see that in this preview to see if the characters in the full version of this comic book was worth reading the full version of this comic book.

The artwork in this comic book is pretty vibrant and detailed which effectively capturing the exotic and fantastical elements of the narrative.

In a way the artwork in this comic book enhance the immersive quality of the story, bringing the unique setting to life.

This preview gives us the themes of exploration, survival, and discovery which are very well woven throughout the narrative, which are adding layers of intrigue to the main storyline of this preview. While these themes are compelling, their exploration remains surface-level in the preview, likely to be expanded in the full series.

So will buy and read the full version of this comic book ? Yes I will. It might take some time for me to actually read the full version of this comic book because I have been way too optimistic when creating my TBR list for this year and I don’t know if I get the time to read the full version of this comic book this year. But I will read the full version of this comic book at some point in time.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” By Charles Duhigg Review

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A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed almost every aspect of her life. She has quit smoking, run a marathon, and been promoted at work. The patterns inside her brain, neurologists discover, have fundamentally changed. Marketers at Procter & Gamble study videos of people making their beds. They are desperately trying to figure out how to sell a new product called Febreze, on track to be one of the biggest flops in company history. Suddenly, one of them detects a nearly imperceptible pattern—and with a slight shift in advertising, Febreze goes on to earn a billion dollars a year.

The only reason why I’ve read this book was because I’ve heard a lot of good about this book and the majority of reviews of this book on Goodreads are very positive in the 4-star and 5-star categories. But after reading this book I gotta admit that it wasn’t as good as a lot of people on Goodreads claim it is. But of course I’m gonna explain everything in this review so lets get into it.

This book is interesting and enjoyable. Because it talks about how to actually change our more negative habits like lets say smoking, drinking or whatever else you classify as a “bad habit”. 

But I need to admit here that this book seemed to me like a mix between “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman and “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Because this book talks a lot about the same things those 2 books talk about. But this book says very similar things which “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman and “Atomic Habits” by James Clear say but in different way. 

After reading this book I gotta admit that if you have read both “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman and “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, then you can easily skip this book because those two books I’ve mentioned explain the process of replacing bad habits with good habits.

This book has a fair share of anecdotes and at times those anecdotes don’t support or go along with a particular arguments the author attempting to tell us about. Which really made me think about whats the point of having those anecdotes if they don’t go along with what the author is trying to tell us. 

The other thing which really annoyed me, is that the author explains everything painfully clear like the readers of this book are a bunch of toddlers who are only learning how to form coherent thoughts. Which is the main reason why I said that the 2 books I’ve mentioned above are much better than this book because they dont treat their readers like some idiots who need to have everything explained on a toddler level.

The thing you have to know about this book is that it is not a self-help book as Goodreads claim it is. The author doesn’t give us any tips on how to actually change / improve our habits. instead this book is more of an analysis / essay about habits and how companies like target use habits to influence our lives. So keep that in mind, because if you are looking for a self-help book on how to improve your habits then reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear is a much better choice than this book is.

The writing style is okay for the most part, but when the author tries to explain something to us the writing style almost drop to an toddler level but I’ve already said that above. 

At the same time this book takes over 350 pages to explain something which could be done in 2 or 3 pages. The thing which the author is trying to tell us in those 350 pages is that if you want to change or make new habits you should be consistent with what habits you want to make. Like if you want to go to sleep at 10 pm each night then you should try to go to sleep at around 10 pm most nights rather than hope you will fall asleep at 10pm. 

But this book makes some good points here and there, which really is the only thing which made me give this book a 3 star rating instead of a 2 star rating. 

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Spidey And His Amazing Friends Halloween Trick-Or-Read 2024 #1 (Spidey And His Amazing Friends)” By Various Review

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Marvel Trick-Or-Read is back in 2024 with 5 new titles! Swing into reading with Spidey, Ghost-Spider, and Spin as they face classic villains and more in this spectacular special filled with all new fun activities and stories from the MY FIRST COMIC READER.

Yet another comic book in the “spider and his amazing friends” series we are talking about. I gotta admit that this comic book is much better than the previous comic book in this series I’ve read. Even thou it is very far from actually being good. But without making the intro longer than it needs to be lets get into the review.

The storyline of this comic book is set against a Halloween backdrop, and we yet again follow Spider-Man and his friends but this time they are navigating spooky adventures. I gotta admit that this was very fun to read because of the spooky element.

The concept of this comic book is pretty engaging because it is blending superhero action with Halloween themes. And if you read some of my reviews you will know that I love all Halloween themes so of course I liked this comic book a lot. 

The storyline is very straightforward, it effectively captures the festive spirit, making it a delightful read for kids which of course this comic book is meant for. 

The characters in this comic book are still very charming and energetic which they also were in the previous comic book from this series I read and talked. 

The characters in this comic book stays pretty much true to their iconic personas. But the characters don’t get a lot of depth to them because this comic book (and the whole series) focuses more on the action rather than deep character development. Which is understandable since this comic book (and the whole series in general) is meant for 5 to 7 year olds. 

The artwork in this comic book is very vibrant and colorful. And the the artwork is perfectly matching the playful tone of the comic. The artwork is very lively and engaging, drawing you into the Halloween-themed adventures. 

I gotta admit that the style of the artwork in this comic book in a way enhances the festive atmosphere, making it visually appealing for us as readers.

This comic book gives us the themes of friendship, teamwork, and courage which of course are the central to the narrative. And the exploration of them is very light and playful which makes it very good and understandable for the younger readers this comic book (and series) is meant for.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“This Poison Heart” By Kalynn Bayron Review

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Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined–it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri’s unique family lineage.

I gotta admit here that the only reason why I read this book is because I loved the previous book I’ve read from this author so I decided to give her other books a go to see if they are just as good as “Cinderella is dead” which I already talked about on this website a few months back. But without making this intro longer, lets get into this review.

I personally didn’t have a lot of hopes or exceptions for this book or the plot in this book. But I gotta admit that the plot is pretty good and interesting. The plot is actually pretty unique, very enjoyable and very interesting. It had unique premise and I personally had a lot of fun with the plot.

But at the same time the plot has some moments where the plot starts rolling down hill very fast. One of those things is the author trying to squeeze as many black culture things into the book that it became very stereotypical and cringy. A good example of this is where Bri would say the most black phrases you ever heard in conversation where it made no sense at all for Bri to say those phrases. Which made me personally feel like the author was forcing the book to have as much of black culture and black phrases / sayings that it really took the whole book down a lot for me at least. 

The second things which annoyed me a lot of this book is that the book is 350+ pages long and the action is very minimal. Because around 30% of this book is about nothing relating to the main plot, it was the main character exploring the town she moved into, making new friends for it to turn to point where the new friends and the places she been to in the town being forgotten in the next chapter. I personally don’t understand it when authors introduce places or characters in their books to completely forget about those places and characters for the rest of the book.  

When it comes to the characters in this book, they were pretty good. I really liked the main character in this book and I also liked the main character’s parents. Because they have very good relationship with each other and you could very easily see how much the main character’s parents really cared about their daughter. 

When it comes to the rest of the characters, I didn’t like them that much. Because for me they felt very shallow and they had very minimal personalities / character. Which really disappointed me, because a lot of this side characters had the potential to be as amazing as the main character and her parents. But in the end the side characters were very forgettable and the majority of the side characters were introduced to be forgotten later on in this book.

The writing style in this book was very good. Because it was simple and it played very well with the plot in this book. The writting style was just like the author knew exactly what words to use to completely grab my attention and to not let it go until the very end of this book. Which of course made me give this book some extra points for doing.

The ending of this book leaves us as a big cliffhanger, which really made me want to read the second book in this series. Which of course I’m gonna read at some point in the near future.  

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Spidey And His Amazing Friends Free Comic #1” By Various Review

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IT’S SPIDEY TIME! Swing into adventure with Spidey, Ghost-Spider and Miles as they face Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and more! This FREE promotional comic features all new stories from MY FIRST COMIC READER, an easy-to-read comic book that is perfect for young Spidey fans ages 5-7. We promise you, kids will LOVE this not-to-be-missed sampler!

I need to make an confession here. This comic book is meant for kids ages between 5 and 7 which means it is very simple and easy to read. But I couldn’t help it but like this comic book more than I expected I would. But without making the introduction longer than it needs to be, lets get into the review. 

This comic book is about Spider-Man teaming with Ghost-Spider, and Miles’s Spiderman to tackle the villains and save the day. I gotta admit that the comic book is very simple and easy going but at the same time fun. 

The concept of this comic book is pretty engaging and fun, because it provides us a blend of action and humor. Even thou the action is very soft, there is no fighting action but rather the Spiderman team talks to the villain with something cheesy as “don’t do that, it is bad” and the villain just stops.

The one thing I didn’t like about the storyline of this comic book is that the storyline is very straightforward which means it lacks the complexity which really annoyed me.

The characters here are portrayed with charm and energy which was okay for the most part. The character developing is very minimal in this series, because it focuses more on the action than on deeper narratives. Which is understandable since this comic book is meant for 5 to 7 year olds. This approach works well for the intended audience but might not satisfy those looking for more depth

The artwork in this comic book is pretty vibrant and colorful. Which I really liked because it perfectly captures the playful tone of the comic book. 

The artwork is pretty dynamic and engaging. At the same time the artwork is appealing and well-suited for the target demographic, enhancing the overall experience.

This comic book gives us the themes of teamwork, friendship, and heroism which are central to the storyline in this comic book. These elements are effectively conveyed, offering positive messages that resonate well with younger readers which this comic book is intended for. But the themes of this comic book are pretty unexplored if you are someone older reading this book.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Monster Me Vol. 1: No Fair” By iPOP! Labs Review

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This 3-issue edition includes All Phone & Games, Body Chemistry and Newmon. Join in on the adventure as Newmon and his fellow classmates experience cyberbullying, learn about nutrition and tackle bullying together.

I gotta admit here that this comic book series is kinda fun to read for me. Because it is very simple and easy which means it doesn’t take brainpower to read it. So I decided to read this one, so if you are interested what I have to say about this comic book keep reading.

The story of this comic book, as always follows a young protagonist who navigates the ups and downs of adolescence through fantastical transformations. Which is pretty fun and engaging to read.

The concept of this comic book is kind of creative, because it uses the metaphor of monsters to explore themes of identity and self-acceptance. Which are pretty good themes for the younger reviews which this comic book (and the whole comic book series) is meant for.

While I liked the premise of this comic book I gotta admit here that the narrative in this comic book is pretty inconsistent. Because at times the narrative rushed through parts of this comic book while at other times the narrative drags on and on. Which makes some plot points underdeveloped while other plot point overdeveloped. 

The protagonist is relatable, capturing the confusion and excitement of growing up. But at the same time he makes some stupid decisions throughout this comic book which really annoyed me a lot because of how stupid they were. 

The side characters in this comic book add some charm and humor to this comic book. But they don’t have a lot of depth or personalities to them. Which really makes them look like the creators of this comic book didn’t give a shit about the side characters. 

The interactions between the characters in this comic book is for the most part engaging but at times those interactions seems very cringy or lacks the emotional resonance which would make readers more interested and engaged in the storyline of this comic book. 

The artwork is pretty vibrant and playful. Which in a way effectively conveys the whimsical tone of the storyline of this comic book. 

But for the most part the artwork does complements the narrative perfectly in this comic book. Which made me add some points to the overall rating I gave this comic book. 

As ive mentioned above, this comic book gives us the themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and friendship are woven throughout the comic book. These themes seem for the most part explored and they offer both entertainment and meaningful storyline for the younger readers which this comic book is meant for. 

But there are times where the themes of this comic book could have been more explored and developed to make those themes more fun in this comic book

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“The Traitors: The Interactive Game Book” By Alan Connor Review

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I need to admit something here before we start this review. I hate reality shows, and “The Traitors” is the only reality shows I actually enjoyed and watched front to back. And when I saw that this book being released in knew I had to buy and read this book. With that being said, lets review this book.

I had a a fair share of fun with this book, even thou I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book. Because the reality that I’m the type of person who hates reality shows really quickly caught up to me when I was reading this book. And I would get bored and uninterested with this book as I was reading it. Which of course didn’t surprised me because I don’t know what I was expecting getting into this book knowing my hate towards anything involving reality shows. 

This book is very faithful to the main reality show, but I personally had hard time following which who the characters were and remembering who was who in this book. Because I really didn’t give a shit about the other characters in this book which more or less made this book less fun in a way. 

In this book we get those generic reality shows characters, the old retired lady, the jock, the plastic barbie with no brain cells, the smart girl, the introvert girl, the motorcycle guy, the freelance guy, you know the rest pretty much. As I’ve said above I had a hard time remember who was who in this book because I didn’t remember the names but rather used the nicknames I had for them. 

I had a really hard time remembering who I had conversions with in this book, and who did what in this book. Because this book didn’t gives us the big suspense or the bond to other players which the show did, which was the main disappointment I had about this book.

However this book gives the psychological warfare which I really liked, because you have to think what to need to chose to not get kicked out off the game or not bet murdered by the traitors or not get suspected by the faithful if you are the traitor. I personally love the psychological aspect of mystery / horror of novels / shows / movies which of course made me like this book more for that aspect of this book. 

But I need to admit that it took a awhile to finish this book because I would take those long breaks from it since there were many times where I would get bored of this book. And I really didn’t want to DNF it so I just waited a few days before getting back to the book to continue reading it.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Mwumba: Preview” By Bruce Brown & Lizzy Brown & Eduardo Savid Review

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10-Page Preview! Mwumba is the story of a little girl named Cassandra; the ruler of the jungle Mwumba. Everything in Cassandra’s world centers on her, and that’s just the way she likes it! For the first time, a mysterious monster has come into her jungle and is not only breaking sacred Mwumban law by eating vegetables, but worse yet, is taking all of the attention that rightfully belongs to her!

Let me start this review by saying that this one is just a preview for the entire comic book. And I read it because I wanted to see if the full comic book was worth the money and time I would spend on it. And I’m gonna give you the answer for that at the end of this review.

This preview introduces us to the imaginative world of Mwumba, a place filled with creativity and charm. Which I found to be very interesting and fun to read.

The concept of this preview is delightful, capturing the essence of a whimsical adventure. Which made me give this preview some extra point for doing. 

The storyline of this preview is engaging, but it has a lot of moments where the story goes down heal. Because of how introductory it feels at times which didn’t help with me wanting to read the full version of this comic book. Because it left me wanting more depth and more details. 

The characters in this preview are introduced to us with personality and potential. But the personality aspect here is pretty weak, we see the glimpses of the characters’s personalities but its not like the personality aspect is always presented for the characters. 

The main character in this preview is pretty likable and has hints of a rich inner world and motivations. And easily the main character is my favorite character in this preview.

When it comes to the side characters in this preview they show some glimpses of them having something which would make them standout. But for the most part the side characters feel pretty one-dimensional and flat

The artwork in this comic book is pretty vibrant and lively which was my favorite thing about this comic book. Because of how perfectly the artwork is complementing the playful tone of the narrative.

The artwork in this preview bring the whimsical world to life, enhancing the overall appeal. And in a way it had drawn me into the charming setting of this preview.

This preview tries to give us the themes of imagination, adventure, and self-discovery. Those themes are present in this preview, but at times those themes feel pretty underdeveloped at times and those themes aren’t fully explored as I wanted them to be. But at the same time those themes offer us both entertainment and substance.

So will buy and read the full version of this comic book ? Yes I will. It might take some time for me to actually read the full version of this comic book because I have been way too optimistic when creating my TBR list for this year and I don’t know if I get the time to read the full version of this comic book this year. But I will read the full version of this comic book at some point in time.

I Give This Book 3 / 5

“Shadowlaw: Preview” By Brandon Easton & Scott Kester & Ryo Kawakami Review

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In a future world of giant mechanized warriors, a rebellious soldier is sentenced to life in a distant prison colony. Once there, he finds himself the only man who can stop an advanced race of Vampire lords from taking over the world after they break their restricted feeding treaty with the human race. As he battles on, he must also cope with the growing realization that his very presence in the colony may be a part of their dark designs.

Let me start this review by saying that this one is just a preview for the entire comic book. And I read it because I wanted to see if the full comic book was worth the money and time I would spend on it. And I’m gonna give you the answer for that at the end of this review.

This preview gives us a pretty compelling mix of science fiction and political drama. And I personally love stories with political drama. So of course I would like this preview. 

The concept of this preview is intriguing which had drawn me immediately  into a world of darkness and conflict of this preview. 

The setup of this preview is engaging and fun for the most part. The narrative feels very weak and introductory. Which annoyed me a lot while I was reading this preview. Because I felt like this preview was leaving out things which would get me more interested in reading the full version of this comic book.

The characters in this preview are introduced to us with potential, showcasing hints of depth and complexity. However, the preview only scratches the surface of their motivations and backgrounds. Which wasn’t enough for me personally to like the characters in this preview. 

The artwork in this preview effectively captures the gritty, futuristic atmosphere of the narrative. Which really made me give this preview some extra points for. Because the visuals in this preview are sharp and dynamic, enhancing the mood and immersing us in the dystopian setting of this preview. 

This preview tries to gives us the themes of power, control, and resistance which add more depth to the narrative of this preview. While these themes are compelling, their exploration remains surface-level in the preview which again annoyed me a fair share.

So will buy and read the full version of this comic book ? Yes I will. It might take some time for me to actually read the full version of this comic book because I have been way too optimistic when creating my TBR list for this year and I don’t know if I get the time to read the full version of this comic book this year. But I will read the full version of this comic book at some point in time.

I Give This Book 3 / 5