alf_read's reviews
113 reviews

Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

Do you want a rich chemistry between two characters in prison with fun storytelling and dark existentialism? And it’s lgbtq+ as well! Oh what a dramatic and fabulous book.
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

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dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was my introduction to BEE. This book is so nasty and perverse but I loved it. It’s the classic tale of disaffected youth turning to indulgence but it’s through the landscape of queer 1980s LA. 
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

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

4.25

One of the essential classics on colonialism. This is a very important book that doesn’t read like a boring history lesson, rather it’s an engaging look from the other side of the empire. Need to finish the rest of this trilogy! 
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

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

4.0

This book is so clever. It manages to evolve the tale of Jane Eyre without feeling derivative or lazy. The colonial twist puts such a twist on the original story that you’ll never look at Jane Eyre the same way.  
The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington

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

3.75

The definition of a surreal book. While it can be tough to follow at times, the main character is engaging enough that it’s at the very least an experience. 
On the Road by Jack Kerouac

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adventurous challenging funny hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A somewhat overrated classic, but then I’ve never taken to the Beat Generation’s philosophy. You want to reach into the book and give Sal a shake for being such a spineless follower to Dean. 
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

Controversial I know but this just didn’t resonate with me and whenever I was supposed to evoke fear or suspense I wasn’t feeling any. 
The Death of Grass by John Christopher

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adventurous dark reflective tense fast-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

2.75

It’s by no means a bad book but I there’s nothing overly special that would warrant reading it. 
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

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

2.25

Look I love people watching and I love Steinbeck, but this needed way more meat on the bones to be a compelling and enjoyable novel. 
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

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

2.75

Unremarkable in almost every way, this book simply doesn’t read as historical fiction but rather a generic smattering of romantasy tropes dressed up in the velvet robe of the Spanish Golden Age.