alf_read's reviews
113 reviews

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

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challenging dark 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? No

2.0

This didn’t work for me. It was trying so hard to deliver a dystopian critique that was on the pulse of current politics but the style of writing was so nebulous, there was no character work, and the pacing was a mess. 
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Possibly the funniest book I’ve ever read, how it manages to blend that with a critique of American society is pure genius. Ignatius J. Reilley is such a brilliant character study and it cuts deep when you learn the writer’s own tragic backstory. 
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

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

4.25

This book was so fun! Such a Hollywood story with action and excitement. It was also really cool how many references to 80s nerd culture were made. While the messaging is slightly confused, it’s a perfectly standard sci-fi adventure. 
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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challenging 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

Impossible to read. I have never before seen such an alienating style of writing. Couldn’t finish the hard copy, barely finished the audiobook. 
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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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? It's complicated

2.0

This was terrible. Nothing felt sincere, it was very surface and artificial. Neither Hazel nor Augustus feel like real people so the emotion felt unearned particularly when it was so performative tragic in its delivery.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

It’s so perfect. A classic of gender dysphoria and self-discovery in addition to an epic three generational tale of migration into 20th century Midwestern America. The writing style is beautiful and it’s quite simply earnest storytelling at its finest.
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

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

2.5

Equal parts seminal trailblazer of sapphic fiction and antiquated values that hurt the cause of queer liberation. Even if you ignore the troubling social politics, the book just isn’t very exciting. 
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5

This book really surprised me in how gently it managed to deliver such a beautiful tale that’s heartfelt and important. It was speculative fiction with clever world-building but it was also so raw in its emotional matter-of-fact plot. Ultimately, the book doesn’t try to deus ex macchina - it gives you exactly what you asked for and I really appreciated a story that puts the journey before the destination.  
In Memoriam by Alice Winn

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

3.25

I was irritated by this. Once again, it was a very sanitised look at the queer experience that felt so out of place in the turn of the 20th century. There are plenty of classic WW1 books I would read before this.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

Every bit as disturbing as its reputation suggests. While the storytelling is a bit patchy and the writing isn’t anything to marvel at - the subject material is splatterpunk gold.