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emmacb's reviews
176 reviews
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'm sure this story has plenty of deep meaning, but overall I just found it a bit too depressing. It's a commentary on human nature, sure, but it's incredibly cynical and felt very oversimplified.
I'd be open to learning more about the subtext of the story and changing my opinion but I don't particularly care enough to seek it out either!
I'd be open to learning more about the subtext of the story and changing my opinion but I don't particularly care enough to seek it out either!
The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Class reader.
A bit slow to start, so it took children a while to get into the story, but now they're enjoying it!
I've read ahead and finished it. It's a good book for discussion about gender and assumptions, and great for teaching inference to a group with no knowledge of the region this story takes place in, as we had to look for context clues in the text to work out where/when the book was set!
A bit slow to start, so it took children a while to get into the story, but now they're enjoying it!
I've read ahead and finished it. It's a good book for discussion about gender and assumptions, and great for teaching inference to a group with no knowledge of the region this story takes place in, as we had to look for context clues in the text to work out where/when the book was set!
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
This might just be me as I haven't read any other reviews or opinions on this book, but I thought the book might be hinting that Florence had been molested by her father in some way in the past. It's subtle enough that I'm not sure if it's just me reading into it in a darkly wrong way, but still kind of there. If I'm right that raises the acephobic narrative of being asexual due to trauma but that's a whole other ball game. There's also a fair bit of acephobic language just in the way Edward reacts to Florence and the way she refers to herself as having something wrong with her a few times.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
For a book that started off as an 'ok well I've started so let's slog through to the end of this since it's so short' type of read, the last two thirds of this book had me entranced. It's a sweetly sad story of two people who, had they just had a little more maturity or life experience in the one key moment, might have been happy.
There are definitely some darker undertones to this book, but overall I finished it with an odd sense of nostalgia for a different ending that might have been!
There are definitely some darker undertones to this book, but overall I finished it with an odd sense of nostalgia for a different ending that might have been!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
I read this book when I was younger and just loved the whole series. Given how quickly I've just ripped through this book I think I may need to keep an eye out for the rest of them to be 'easy readers.'
Definitely some bits that might be scary for a younger reader, but I'd still recommend it! Now I've read it, it's going on the shelf in my (year 4) classroom for any curious kiddos to have a go at :)
I feel like there are elements of this book, specifically sections about the 'slaughterers' and maybe the bit about the trogs, and later how some characters talk about the woodtrolls , that could be used to initiate conversations with kids about discrimination - racial and gender-based.
Definitely some bits that might be scary for a younger reader, but I'd still recommend it! Now I've read it, it's going on the shelf in my (year 4) classroom for any curious kiddos to have a go at :)
I feel like there are elements of this book,
Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby
adventurous
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I found this a really interesting and in places inspiring read, showing the lengths people will go to to help others, even at risk to themselves. I'm a little annoyed that I'll have to buy a whole other book to find out the actual ending!
Entertainingly written and easy to read. It keeps a subtle tone of optimism all the way through, even in the darker moments. I read someone else's review saying what a disservice the title does - I have to sort of agree as the title makes it sound much more of a schmaltzy romance story than it actually is... That being said, I kind of enjoy the idea of it acting as a stopper for people who are snobby about romance novels!
Entertainingly written and easy to read. It keeps a subtle tone of optimism all the way through, even in the darker moments. I read someone else's review saying what a disservice the title does - I have to sort of agree as the title makes it sound much more of a schmaltzy romance story than it actually is... That being said, I kind of enjoy the idea of it acting as a stopper for people who are snobby about romance novels!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
N word used in the last chapter before the epilogue - 'beginning of the end' (p292 in my copy). Not as a direct slur, but to describe a group of people with smoke-blackened skin.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I first read this book when I was about 12. I was a relatively advanced reader, but knew next to nothing about history. I guess I got the superficial message but nothing deeper. Having learned a little more about the context, I decided to give it another read as an adult. I got more from it this time, but can 100% see myself coming back to it AGAIN in future if I at some point gain a deeper understanding about the historical context.
Evie and the Animals by Matt Haig
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Class reading book. It's fun, and the kids are enjoying it but I'd say it's a little simple - I teach a fairly able year 4 class, and I wouldn't say it's particularly stretching them in terms of vocabulary and so on.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
a semi-graphic description of a rape, followed by some pretty heavy (but sadly realistic) victim blaming.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I've seen this book recommended by so many people, but I just couldn't get into it! This was my second attempt at reading it after losing interest once.
I actually sped through the last third or so of this book, but the first two thirds were way too much of a slog to make it worth it.
The story is devastating but predictable. I teared up multiple times as I read, but always felt I knew what was coming.
In a way this shows a strength of the author in building up the characters so well I could predict their actions based on what I knew about them, but it was just too much build up for me.
Another thing that made it predictable was, sadly, how common this sort of story is in real life. Toxic masculinity in sports and it's tragic potential results are well known by pretty much any woman who's spent any time on the internet.
I will say that I sort of want to know what happens in the sequel. Benji features and he was probably my favourite character... I'm sort of annoyed that I want to know though because I didn't enjoy this book that much. So overall, meh, but frustrating!
I actually sped through the last third or so of this book, but the first two thirds were way too much of a slog to make it worth it.
The story is devastating but predictable. I teared up multiple times as I read, but always felt I knew what was coming.
In a way this shows a strength of the author in building up the characters so well I could predict their actions based on what I knew about them, but it was just too much build up for me.
Another thing that made it predictable was, sadly, how common this sort of story is in real life. Toxic masculinity in sports and it's tragic potential results are well known by pretty much any woman who's spent any time on the internet.
I will say that I sort of want to know what happens in the sequel. Benji features and he was probably my favourite character... I'm sort of annoyed that I want to know though because I didn't enjoy this book that much. So overall, meh, but frustrating!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
The Travelling Bag And Other Ghostly Stories by Susan Hill
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Honestly bought this book because of its beautiful cover, but sadly just didn't do it for me. I get that many of the gaps left in these stories are for your imagination to fill in the implied holes for maximum creepiness, but for me there were too many spaces left open, to the point where none of the stories particularly creeped me out because I didn't have enough context to be more than just slightly confused!
It just felt like a lot of build up, but then the big reveal was just 'ITS A GHOST!!' without a huge amount of why the ghost was even there.
I'm a fairly literal reader though, so maybe it's perfectly good and just not for me!
I'm a fairly literal reader though, so maybe it's perfectly good and just not for me!
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
You can sort of guess from the start how this book is going to end, but that doesn't make it any less lovely. It has a message of hope tinged with realism that's really uplifting to read, despite the heavier parts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt