amu_pdf's reviews
334 reviews

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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4.0

Snow is literally insane. That pretty much sums up the whole book, but it is a really good read. Just like the rest of the series, it is such good commentary and the plots and characters are very compelling. I read this after the original series and I do think that is a good way to do it because you will catch a lot of similarities and get introduced to people before reading this book.


This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

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5.0

It was really inspiring to read about her experiences first hand. It was very short and didn’t go into a lot of detail, but her writing is so well done and inspirational. This is taught about in history books and we are aware that they are children going through this, but reading it and hearing about her thoughts and feelings from the point of view of being the child was really revealing about the true experiences people of color went through in that era and continue to go through now.


Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu

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1.0

I think I can honestly say I hated this book. I found the dynamic between not only the two main characters but all the characters in the book was toxic. I thought the amount of discussion of shit and sexuality for ten year olds was kind of crazy. It is supposed  to be about intense female friendships in childhood and maybe I missed out on it in my childhood but it was not relatable at all. It was honestly just concerning. 


If the Broom Fits by Sara Bourgeois

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4.0

Honestly this slayed. I will probably read the entire series at some point. It was lighthearted and all the characters are super loveable. I again am a sucker for the romance subplot and am very excited to see where that goes. The mystery itself was also very well told and ties into the world building nicely.


Lady Luck's Map of Vegas by Barbara Samuel, Barbara O'Neal

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2.0

I was mostly just bored. I thought that there were many potentially interesting plots and characters, but most of them feel flat. I was not at all interested in Eldora’s story and India’s complete refusal communicate with Jack just got more and more frustrating as the book went on. 


House Arrest by K.A. Holt

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5.0

This is a truly devastating read about struggling with a sick family member and the lengths you will go to protect and help them. I really enjoyed the prose format and think it added a lot to the plot that it was told through the view of Timothy’s journal. I very much recommend this book as it is not only really beautiful, it is also a good read to get into books written in prose as it was easy to follow.


It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work by David Heinemeier Hansson, Jason Fried

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3.0

I wish I worked someplace that cared about its employees. :(
Truly shows capitalism has no reason to be like that.


The Young Man by Annie Ernaux

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1.0

Honestly just bad. It wasn’t compelling. I knew i was getting myself into a weird age gap book, but there was not justification or reasoning why a 50 year old would want to date a 20 year old. It also was not a really compelling story. She just stated she dated someone really young over and over.


Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna R. Shrum, Sara Waxelbaum

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5.0

I know a YA wlw book hates to see me coming. I eat everyone up and this is no exception. I relate to Margo so much. I, too, was obsessed with being gay correctly and spend a lot of time worrying how other people perceive me. It is a very sweet book with a nice love story. It is a coming out book, but I feel like it’s different than other books that talk about the struggles of homophobia (which it does discuss but not in great detail like other books). Instead it focuses on feeling like part of the queer community and merging your current life with the community and other queer experiences you go through after coming out. It was a refreshing change in the coming out genre. 


Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot

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3.0

This had such a unique writing style that really added to the book. I thought it was very well written and touched on many aspects and struggles of growing up with trauma and addiction. It also gave the unique perspective of growing up with these influences on a reservation and the culture there. I recommend reading this book as it is very compelling.