bugle's reviews
92 reviews

You Feel It Just Below the Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor, Janina Matthewson

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? No

4.0

My Glass is Runn by Die Booth

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

Flowers of Mold by Ha Seong-nan

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 82%.

I really tried to enjoy this, even made myself keep reading past the weird, possibly transphobic plot twist. I simply didn’t find any of the stories nearly unsettling enough to be interesting and kept cycling between boredom, confusion, and frustration. Ultimately, I stopped reading in the middle of the second-to-last story when the narrative turned to the 26yo MC noticing (in great detail) the legs and crotches of a group of high school girls. Can’t rate it because I didn’t finish, but I’d give it 2.5 stars.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane

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emotional hopeful 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

4.75

Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde

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challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-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? No

5.0

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

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informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

My Volcano by John Elizabeth Stintzi

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lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-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? No

4.5