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bookmaddie's reviews
1104 reviews
Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse
Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death of parent
Forgottenness: A Novel by Tanja Maljartschuk
challenging
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Did I fully understand this??? Unclear.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
So charming! Would be great on audio.
The Lady Matador's Hotel by Cristina García
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
One Of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Ilium by Lea Carpenter
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Pregnancy
The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
Wild and Distant Seas by Tara Karr Roberts
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
A recent read from my whale historical fiction era (which I think is over for now...) that got better as it went along! This novel follows multiple generations of one family, going from mother to daughter. Each woman has a special power—foresight, being able to see other people’s memories, etc—that helps them along the way. Each woman is searching for something, even if it might not bring the closure they so desire.
While the story begins with a mother’s grief and a daughter’s search for a lost father, their story is lost, and the rest of the women search desperately for a past they feel but can’t remember. The tone is very whimsical and nostalgic, bringing the windswept shores of Nantucket and the boisterous ports of Brazil and Italy to life.
I was charmed by the setting and writing, but I felt as if I was leaving each woman’s story just before the conclusion. It got a bit old to be dragged from story to story with no closure to the prior narrative. Also, a lot of these women misunderstand their moms so much, in a way that reads so naive and brash on the page. It didn’t make sense to me, and felt really repetitive. I felt that the whole root of their inherited trauma was never addressed and kept a secret for way too long. I wanted some emotional heart-to-hearts and character development that happened marginally, rather than all at once at the very end.
I think the structure of the book hindered the character development, but the sweet ending still delighted me. All the loose threads got knotted together, and I finally got the closure I was after! If you’re in the mood for an adventurous, sweeping story, then this is a good debut to give a try. I’ll be curious what Roberts writes in the future, as there’s lots here to love and I think her writing can only get better!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Waves by Ingrid Chabbert
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
4.25
Really powerful. Beautifully told and illustrated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage