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annilane's reviews
32 reviews
Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale by Herman Melville
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My assessment of this book is obviously skewed by the 170 odd years of distance between us, but I am able to appreciate the quality of narrative of information in this novel. There’s a lot of information that is relevant to the story but not actually important, really, and since I read it on audiobook I found rather boring, since I think I’m print there are diagrams to accompany, for example, the chapters outlining every species of whale whose existence was known at that time. I loved Queequeg, and otherwise had a bit of a hard time telling all the men on the ship apart. Overall I would recommend, because there’s lots of information about whales which is cool, and in general if a book’s popularity has somewhat survived over 150 years, it’s probably worth noting. There were some messages throughout the story that I think a lot of people can learn from.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Racism
This Charming Man by Caimh McDonnell, C.K. McDonnell
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
5.0
This book was phenomenal - it is so rare to find a sequel that upholds the quality of the first book, and I think “This Charming Man” actually exceeds it. So many new characters and plot lines are added - there literally is not a dull moment. Very tasteful handling of the vampire theme, which has been done hundreds of time and yet McDonnell kept it fresh and relevant. I also appreciate that these books give significant story arcs to all manner of characters, including for example Stanley, an unlikely candidate for any notable redemption. Even the victims are given a chapter to show a bit of their lives so the reader better understands who they were, giving a feeling to the book that everything is constantly connecting and intersecting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Murder
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
This book had enticing main characters and lots of action scenes that kept the plot interesting. I liked that the protagonists got together early on in the novel, because it changed up the regular formula where the romance only climaxes at the end. It was fun to watch their relationship ebb and flow as new challenges surfaced around them. The sexual tension was great. . The Ballenger family has a lot of siblings, which was easier to keep track of than I thought it would be when I started the book. Also, the Rahtan are mostly female which is awesome to see play out. I like how characters from the Remnant chronicles are used in this novel too, and it actually made me like the old books more, because I got a better understanding of the characters based on how they developed after the Remnant chronicles left off.
Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
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? It's complicated
4.75
This novel is an incredibly well-written exploration into the life of indigenous people in the early 20th century. The characters are complicated and yet despite having experiences that are not common now (living in the bush, fighting in a world war) are relatable in their relationships to each other and earnest emotions. The switching between the perspectives of Nephew and Niska keeps the narrative dynamic and offers valuable insight into how many layers and experiences make a person who they are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Child death and Cannibalism
The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.75
This book was so so good, funny and interesting and different from other murder mysteries. I read it on audible and the narrator flawlessly used each accent that was included for the characters (probably a dozen in total). The narration was perfect, and the story was fantastic. Can’t wait to read the next ones.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Terminal illness
Finale by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.5
I really loved the beginning of this series, but as it continued it just felt a bit disorganized, as if the author planned what was going to happen as she wrote each book, rather than planning it all at the beginning so all the books worked towards a big ending. I also thought that the first book had a more diverse cast than the last book, which mainly focuses on the “bad boy” appeal of several characters. Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I think the end just felt a bit lazy to me.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.5
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.0
I thought this book was even better than the first in the series, although I liked the ending of the first one better. the ending of the first one I found almost too complicated, but I never would have guessed how it turned out. This time, however, I predicted a fair amount of the outcomes and I think hinting at Legend’s true identity was overdone and would’ve been better as a surprise. I also thought Scarlett’s and Julian’s storylines were way too flat . Very excited for the third book !!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse and Alcohol
Caraval is a really fun read. The world building is very creative and detailed, and the characters are likable and easy to root for. I found the twists in the narrative hard to follow / keep track of at certain points, but overall the book was even better than I hoped it would be.
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0