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amalas_bookstop's reviews
105 reviews
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
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? Yes
5.0
We have finished the 74th hunger games! This was such a wild ride. This was my first time reading this book and as I am an adult I am surprised by how much I enjoyed it! Katniss is THAT GIRL! While Peeta is strong where it counts. That book had me crying, gasping, laughing, and holding my breath. I throughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book and I am looking forward to moving on to book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
This book is a solid 3 stars for 3 reasons. The synopsis of this book completely gave away the plot. I knew how this book was going to end before I picked it up. Secondly, the social commentary is so heavy handed. I like a fiction that shows me not tells me and the black trauma, BLM, black mental health topics were in essentially every conversation that our characters had. This book felt more like a literary fiction that uses thriller as a vehicle to keep the plot moving. That brings me to my third point, that pacing of this book felt off to me. At one point it felt to slow, only to all of a sudden be at the end.
I will say that if you are wanting to read a fiction looking to learn more about these topics, this is a good book to start.
I will say that if you are wanting to read a fiction looking to learn more about these topics, this is a good book to start.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Didn’t enjoy the language. Not people of color friendly.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
I couldn’t get past calling the interviewer boy and that fact that he is a plantation owner and starts killing the enslaved.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.0
This was so good! The world is so immersive, I can picture the house, the grounds, the rat, the facial expression of the cat. This was a perfect palette cleanser during spooky season. I wish I would have read this as a younger girl. I still enjoyed it but I know this book must be magic for a kid.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book leaves so many questions and fodder for thoughts. What a wonderful novel that still seems to stay current no matter how much time has passed. This was a re-read for me. I first read this for pleasure in high school and I remember be shocked and staying at the edge of my seat each time Dana traveled back. I still had those same feelings reading it as an adult. What a mind bender!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Abandonment
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
This book was so much easier to read than I imagined it to be. It brought up so many thoughts on assumptions vs. reality and how we move based on assumptions. I am really glad I took time to read this classic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a twisty, Get Out type of read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. This was a bit of a slow start but as the story continued to unfold I understood why. This author loves a dark academic setting that is full of complex social issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise. I typically read YA as like a palate cleanser, I have been reading more difficult literature lately. But this one was tackling was deep topics, trigger warning beware. While it did take me a minute to get involved in this book, I was hooked at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing by Jessa Hastings
I am so mad with Jess’s Hasting, why can’t anyone have a happy ending. Nevertheless, this book had me falling even more in love with Magnolia. I am looking forward to reading this next book.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child death and Eating disorder