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curiouslykatt's reviews
1087 reviews
Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“There is a darkness in you.”
No arguments, this cover is everything.
This book came recommended to me by a few booksta friends, so I snagged a copy in the Lit Love build a box. And I mean, this cover, she’s gorgeous and intriguing.
An approachable horror novel for the summer. Anna is on a family vacation in Tuscany. The venue a gorgeous remote villa, the company an absolute nightmare. Anna is the black sheep of her family, and her family is truly the worst. I’ll be honest you won’t find one likeable character in this book, except a goat. An actual goat. On that note, there is something relatable about Anna. She’s snarky, sarcastic, headstrong and noticeably independent. Same girl. We are the same.
This is definitely a slow burn horror and I wish more chapters would have been devoted to the scaries at the villa. I felt like once we started to get the horror it was over so fast and we flew back to home, which did cause a bit of a pacing issue for me because at that point you’re only half way through the story. There’s so many chapters thereafter where nothing worthy really happens and I was getting a bit bored.
I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable the ending was. Anna’s character did not sway one iota from the start right down the end.
It was a fine read overall and truly my only worry the whole time was the well being of the goat. 🐐
Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang, Nate Pedersen
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession by Craig Childs
informative
medium-paced
2.5
Crisis in the Red Zone: The Story of the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak in History, and of the Outbreaks to Come by Richard Preston
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Walk Me to the Corner by Anneli Furmark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme.”
Elise is in her mid fifties and happy. She enjoys her job, she’s been married for many years to a wonderful man, has two adult children, she is uncommonly happy. A chance meeting with a captivating woman named Dagmar, changes everything.
The heart can be an illogical demanding force. Which path do you choose? The steady known course? The new adventure? Both? Neither? Can you keep the stable and true while being entangled in the new?
What a beautiful and sad exploration of the complexities that can come with mature love. It’s a wonderful thing to experience the type of love that comes with decades spent together, but that’s not to dismiss the type of love you experience when it’s new and fresh, which can be mourned.
On top of a reflective story, the accompanying artwork is wonderful and the use of colours translates the time and feelings of Elise beautifully.
If you’re hesitant to try a graphic novel, I would recommend you try this.
Brutes by Dizz Tate
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Feral and sticky and messy and dizzy.
For me, another successful (in a backwards way) patio and pages selection.
Brutes is an ode to a certain type of girl. The girls who had their first cigarette before they had breasts. The girls who learned to drink Jack & coke because that was what was bootlegged. To the troublemakers. To the girls who are more spice than sugar. To the girls who belonged to the group and could be on the fringe the very next day. To the girls who grow up too fast and too slow all in the same moment.
This is one of the more challenging books I’ve read this year, not in terms of content, but in the ability to read what is written and read what’s not written all at the same time.
Did I understand everything in this book? Absolutely not. Which to be a 13 year old girl that makes perfect sense, when some things make no sense while being perfectly logical.
If you’re looking for a clear plot and an easily understood story, this is not the one for you. If you’re looking for a hive of thoughts, plurals told in singularity, and a story that requires purposeful attention, read this one.
“We would not be born out of sweetness, we were born out of rage, we felt it in our bones.”
The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0