eggbeater's reviews
1194 reviews

The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The doctors weren't trying to cure these women of "hysteria." They were making a spectacle out of them for their own accolades. The book was fascinating and horrific at the same time. The ending was awesome.
Chlorine by Jade Song

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This was billed as horror, but honestly, it's just bizarre. I didn't get it. It was interesting, though.
Heir by Sabaa Tahir

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challenging dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book was too slow for me to always stay interested. It seemed drawn out a little bit longer than necessary, and I did not connect with the characters as well as I would have liked. I did, however, appreciate a couple of the twists. Ruh was the most fleshed out character that I liked.
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

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

4.25

 This was a funny, cute, farcical story. It was just what I needed. Fredrik Backman understands well the amusing side of human nature. 
We Are Not Like Them by Jo Piazza, Christine Pride

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 This was a striking, compelling story about race relations and police brutality. It was written from two different points of view--the perspective of a Black woman and a white woman who were best friends. I feel like I got a lot out of this book. It was a meaty, thought-provoking story. 
Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott

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emotional funny reflective slow-paced

3.0

This book was given to me by a friend. It is compiled of essays of the religious beliefs of a liberal Christian. I didn't hate it, but I didn't connect with it that much.
Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

By the time I had finished with this book, I felt like I'd just survived an exhausting slog. Maybe it's not the book's fault. I was bored by Moby Dick too. Jay's trying to MacGyver his way out of a whale for the whole story, and reconcile his relationship with his dead dad. The book is heavy with philosophy and allegory and light on the plot. I will give it some credit: it was sufficiently gross.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

This is eye-opening historical horror. Ghosts play a big part in the book, but they are not nearly as terrifying as the living during the Jim Crow era. The book made me wonder how much has really changed. We still have the school-to-prison pipeline.

This is a fairly long novel, and it is worth every page. I loved the main character, 12-year-old Robbie Stephens, and I was on the edge of my seat worried about him.
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My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Possessive (literally and figuratively), spooky spirits during 1950s Holland. This is a well crafted, Gothically influenced story that is reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe. It is also a queer romantic tragedy. The reader has to figure out what is real and what is not. I loved the ambiance, the fact that it kept me guessing, and the vicious protectiveness of the spirits.
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Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

It's one of those books wherein I have sympathy for the villain. I grew attached to him and hoped his family could make it work. The book does touch on child death, grief, and animal death; so if those topics are too sensitive for you, you may want to steer clear of it. It's a really original story taking place in both Mexico and the U.S., and I think most horror fans will like it.
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