aviously6's reviews
32 reviews

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I just really loved and enjoyed this book! I loved an interesting narrator perspective, and how much work Sanderson put into his characters and his world. It's my first Sanderson book, and it got me immediately hooked on the idea of reading more of his. 10/10, definitely recommend!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I was honestly really loving this book, and the ending definitely made me cry, but I didn't love it. The twist felt a little cheap and rushed. Though I totally understand it as an ending, and how it brings things full circle, I just personally didn't enjoy that. It might click with someone else. Still, I loved the characters and the concept and the very ethical question it brings up, and especially how we can relate it to topics like abortion in today's society. I also adored how we jumped between points of view, but never really saw Kate's until the end. It's interesting what you can extrapolate from that, and how Anna feels about her ignored perspective.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I thought this book was conceptually very interesting. It is also incredibly dated, both in its terminology and it's portrayal of women. Still, it was a super interesting narrator perspective, which is really what I enjoyed the most about this book. Like other books known for "unreliable narrators", this one was interesting to think about how much of what we were reading was altered by Charlie's perspective, both at the beginning of the book and in the middle ('peak' intelligence involved a lot of him assuming how others felt and what their motives were, which bites him in the ass a lot). I also don't quite understand the amount of people who say this book made them sob - I felt bad for him towards the end, but it didn't make me cry.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

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adventurous inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed getting to follow what feels like a complete journey of a character, while also leading well into the next book that continues that journey. I also really enjoyed the afterword of Le Guin's thoughts when writing out the book, especially in regards to racial diversity, but I also wish that there had been more proper representation for women in it. Regardless, though I'm not as used to the slow pace, I think this series will be good to try to get my attention span back under control.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

It's one of those books that's very interesting because the narrator is more along for the ride rather than being the main character, and it's an interesting look into a certain kind of world, but it does feel a bit overhyped and overrated. Definitely mostly an enjoyable read with an interesting story though.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed the hopeful kind of message this book gave, and what it's putting out into the world through what it tries to teach the reader. It was sad at some points, but ends hopefully, and it honestly helped me feel better.

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