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carpline's reviews
108 reviews
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In the Woods by Tana French
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i’m not usually a huge mystery fan, but this one had me hooked!! interesting mystery with fascinating characters and motives, and the detective characters were fully fleshed out and interesting as well
The Swimming-Pool Library by Alan Hollinghurst
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
an interesting story that doesn’t quite travel as far as you’d want it to, and at times gets somewhat slow. but i really appreciated the detailed descriptions of the geography of gay london in the early 80s, which made it worthwhile to me. the main character was not particularly loveable, but that seemed to be purposeful, and i got the sense that change was on the horizon for him, even if it didn’t happen within the confines of the book itself.
The King's Men by Nora Sakavic
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The Raven King by Nora Sakavic
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
really hate this series. a million things are wrong with it: weak characterization, overdone plot devices, weird prose, offensive stereotypes. just shocking the things that happened in this book in particular. still, it did have me wanting to know what happened in the end.
A Very Nice Girl by Imogen Crimp
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.25
difficult to get through and infuriating but self-consciously so. characters make the exact mistakes that you yourself might make against your better judgement that will trap you in a cycle. Max really, really sucks, much more than Anna realizes, and i appreciated the subtlety with which the author treated his manipulation of her.
The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0