Scan barcode
expecto_padronum's reviews
138 reviews
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first 80% was so boring and repetitive but the ending added a full star to my rating. Concept/twist/audiobook narrator were all great but she needs a new editor.
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
3.5
This was cute! I enjoyed the story about Minnie’s career and friendship more than the romance, but I appreciated how realistic the themes / lessons were and how it took place over the coarse of a whole year instead of just a few weeks or months.
Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
weird, entertaining, short
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Loved it! A great prequel to the original.
Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala
2.0
Didn’t really like this one. The writing was so repetitive. Half the sentences are justifying the previous sentence/explaining why a character said or did something. There were lots of awkward repetition of words from one sentence to the next that I feel like should have been caught by an editor. It felt like the author was telling instead of showing. Coming from a very liberal person, this book also felt performative to the point that it was annoying. Why do you need to mention on 3 separate occasions how you’re accommodating the gluten free side character? The love triangle was weak, the plot was boring, the subplots and relationships were underdeveloped, the final reveal was sudden and not believable, and the author never explained how the killer did it! Only finished it to hit my reading goal bc it was the last few days of the year.
The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling
3.5
Cute but probably my least favorite of the series. I liked it more as it went on. Cursing was a bit excessive for my taste
Babel by R.F. Kuang
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I listened to the audiobook and it was great. The author made some really interesting and beautiful points about language and colonialism. The first half was nice but the second half was where things really picked up. There were a few times where I kind of glossed over a long description of various translations, and you do need to be in the mood for a long and dense read, but it is a beautiful and thoughtful and interesting story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Murder
Ella Minnow Pea: A Progressively Lipogrammatic Epistolary Fable by Mark Dunn
4.5
This really surpassed my expectations. It was interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before. It was surprisingly emotional and powerful toward the end! The writing is so smart and the concept was perfectly executed.
Inherit the Wind: The Powerful Courtroom Drama in Which Two Men Wage the Legal War of the Century by Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee
3.5
Interesting and quick read, the jury’s change in attitude felt a little abrupt and it didn’t impact me like other plays have but it’s a solid classic