alliemay's reviews
403 reviews

Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot

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adventurous fast-paced

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

3.25

Ninth Key by Jenny Carroll, Meg Cabot

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

The Mediator series has a lot of nostalgia for me. It's a breezy paranormal mystery series, with a fun romance that keeps me coming back.

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Another banger from Meg Cabot. Some of the magic reminded me a little of her Mediator series from the early 2000s. Despite being an experienced writer with a large back catalogue, I was impressed by how youthful and fresh her voice still is. I also liked that this was a rom com with a protagonist in her thirties. I think younger audiences could also enjoy the novel.

Content Warnings

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

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hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

Takako is a protagonist that grew on me as she learned to be more honest with herself. Through her voice, we are shown a subtle commentary on Japanese society. This 25 year old woman learns to love her loud and joyful uncle again as she heals from heartbreak in his secondhand bookstore in Tokyo. This is a book that celebrates familial love and the wonders of reading. In these pages, Takako connects with the people around her by sharing an interest in literature and by learning to read the stories that others carry with them.

Content Warnings

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

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dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

If you like to read content warnings before reading a book, then I suggest you look them up for this book. It's not the most extreme piece of writing, but I found myself surprised by the contents because I had picked it up based on the cover and title. This book covered some heavy themes and I found it provocative. I thought the depth of writing was better suited to a short story than a novel. The author note mentions that this novel was adapted from a short story and I would have preferred to read the short story.

Content Warnings

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous dark inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

An exciting story with an inventive flavour of magic. It made me cry, and that's the sign of a good book!

Content Warnings

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by S.K. Ali, Ibtihaj Muhammad

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emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I loved the description of the blue. It was poetic and beautiful. A hopeful story about celebrating yourself, your heritage, and your faith as a young child.

The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert

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hopeful fast-paced