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alf_read's reviews
113 reviews

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
It was so incredibly boring, like a friend that won’t let you get off the phone.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

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dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was so devastating. There’s something about the way Morrison writes about race that feels so beyond anything else you’ll ever read. While I wish the different narratives were blended more organically, this book was so poetic and heartfelt - truly a tale for the ages.  
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

As a precursor to The Alchemist, this book offers a more refined writing style but with the same tired, self-indulgent, empty platitudes. I have no time for thinly-veiled self help stories, particularly when they appropriate a religion and culture as an exotic novelty.
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Incredible. Baldwin’s writing is infectious and this classic feels every bit as relevant now.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

While I don’t necessarily think this was the right time in my life to read a book like this, Didion’s writing is beautiful and there’s some profound takeaways here for anyone.
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

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dark sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It reads like a true crime documentary about grooming. There was nothing emotive or heartfelt about this, it was a creepy tale of predation and emotional abuse. 
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

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challenging informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

It’s so bad that it’s caused me to somewhat dislike To Kill A Mockingbird. The character assassination of Atticus Finch needs to be studied. Realistically this book should never have seen the light of day.
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book is hilarious! It does a great job of blending the tragedy and comedy elements of Greek theatre into its story with a nice mix of slapstick and gallow’s humour. It’s historical fiction that meets Greek retelling without getting as serious as those genres often do. It’s a fun palate cleanser. 
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

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dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

While there’s a couple tender moments and funny dialogue throughout, the bleak mood becomes tedious early on and the writing style is some laboured cross between Hemingway and Melville. I’ve read too many books that execute this concept better. 
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was good but some problems with the focus and structure prevented it from being great. The story tackles colourism, passing, abuse, transitioning, and so many other topics that they don’t all delivered as passionately as they deserve to be. In a similar vein, sideplots are forgotten about and frustratingly multiple characters don’t get a final send-off.