ahhhhhhlexa's reviews
457 reviews

A Rose Among Thorns by Ash Fitzsimmons

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

2.5

Read for Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do's prompt to read 5 SPFBO non-finalists. I think this book likely sets up for a much more interesting series than it's first installment. I was really intrigued in the last 25% when the magical world opened up a little bit and we made a few discoveries. But throughout I struggled with the characters being a little flat and the story not flowing super well. Overall, this isn't super my genre anyway and for those reasons I will not be continuing!
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

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challenging emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

Beautifully written, devastating yet informative. I will absolutely be rereading physically. 
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

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adventurous dark sad tense medium-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? No

4.5

This still got me!!! I am a sucker for the 2nd in a series. I haven't read this is like over a decade so I forgot some of the finer details and honestly I was impressed with the characterization and the nuance here. Genuinely had my heart thumping at times. Overall, extremely enjoyable. 
Deal With a Demon by Ami Wright

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Read for Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do - Read a book you helped crowdfund! Picked something near its goal on Kickstarter and found this :) this was fun and silly while knowing its a bit silly, which is my preference. Didn't love the couple / trope set but thought the set up was a good idea so I could see myself picking up others in the series when I want a romp. 
Space Story by Fiona Ostby

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

5.0

this hurt me!!!! in the best way possible. so sweet and sad. a very quick read to give you a cathartic cry and make you feel hopeful about people if not everything else. 
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn

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dark sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I didn't love this but it was very readable. I was very interested in where the story was going but I struggled with the writing and the overall plot direction. Some quick research kind of confirms my weird feelings about the representation of this specific medical condition. In many ways this story felt allegorical and I wish we could have experienced it that way rather attempting to root it in realism. I always feel weird with magical solutions to something that isn't so "simple". 
Single Player by Tara Tai

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funny lighthearted slow-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

3.0

Pretty cute!! I struggled a little bit with the sheer amount of references in this book - and I really like video games and dnd lol. Just not my favorite writing style! But the romance was cute if a little slow paces for my personal tastes. 
We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
I just am really struggling with the narrative voice. Will try again!
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

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emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

five stars is a feeling and I am feeling it!! I can absolutely see how this is not for everyone but it was very for me. I thought the writing was just stunning and interesting. I appreciated how it started stream of consciousness and slowly formed into a more direct narrative seamlessly. Huge fan.
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I LOVED THIS! As a corporate girlie this gave me so much secondhand anxiety but I genuinely appreciated the conversations that we had. I super appreciated the vast amount of diversity both at the forefront of the story and casually throughout. Though no rom com  is ever 100% realistic, I thought this novel had such a grounding in the real world that lead to real stakes for the relationship that I was really rooting for. Will absolutely be picking up anything Nava publishes in the future!