carly23r's reviews
448 reviews

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

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dark funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

This was an enjoyable enough read but I'm not really sure what the point is. It's sort of a Charlie and the Chocolate factory situation but adult and violent. 
An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Civilization to Independence by Zeinab Badawi

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hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

Interesting and ambitious but often not very critical - understandable for a generalist audience but sometimes frustrating.
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny

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funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No

3.5

This was an enjoyable enough read, but I expected a bit more.
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Piglet: A Novel by Lottie Hazell

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Brick Lane by Monica Ali

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hopeful reflective 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? N/A

4.0

This was beautiful - a nice read for when you want a resolved ending for likeable characters. Minus one star for the final sentence of the book.
Come & Get It by Kiley Reid

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Something just didn’t quite work with this one.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

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dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.5

Definitely an 'important' book and a believeable insight into victims' heads. However it could have been shorter, less repetitive. 

The scene where she says 'I need it to be a love story, because if it isn't a love story, what is it?' was a punch in the gut. 
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck

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dark informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Once again the Booker prizes have picked an intriguing read. The quote on the front of the UK version helped the experience though - clearly put there to signal the allegorical nature of the book before readers begin. 

I have a lot of tenderness for Katharina and enjoyed slipping into the world of the GDR for a while. However there are a lot of moments that can’t be described as anything other than pretentious. 

A solid pick from the Booker judges and I’m glad I read it.