internationalreads's reviews
1635 reviews

The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor

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

3.5

I loved the parts of this book that were from Bianca’s point of view but I felt like the parts from Obadiah’s point of view were a lot weaker. My expectations of this book were totally off which also contributed to my disappointment. This is not really a romance! There should also be a massive CW for eating disorder. I appreciated the Trinidad setting and themes on privilege, crime, and finding your voice.
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Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

Adorable. I need a prequel about the grandmas.
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Bronze Drum: A Novel of Sisters and War by Phong Nguyen

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adventurous dark informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really liked the idea of this novel but the execution was lacking. The characters felt very flat and one dimensional. I still enjoyed the story though.
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The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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adventurous challenging funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I’m frustrated because I liked a lot about this book - the world building! The queer love story! The way all the seemingly separate storylines came together! - but the way the author treated religion and politics was a huge miss for me. There is no way
anyone who was raised to believe certain thousands-years-old truths, let alone a queen and nobles whose entire existence is based on those truths, would believe that their religion is all a lie immediately. Similarly, all of the political leaders coming together incredibly easily to fight the Nameless One at the end, after thousands of years of political estrangement??
We could have had a much more interesting read on those two fronts.
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The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was a delightful queer rom-com full of food and puns. Although there were some repetitive phrases and plot points used, I adored it. I’d read anything by Adiba Jaigirdar! 
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The Rooster House: A Ukrainian Family Story by Victoria Belim

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
I don’t know if it’s the writing, the narration, or me, but I’m bored.
Butterfly Wings by Mohamed Salmawy

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adventurous challenging informative mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I wanted to like this more than I did. I’m not sure if it was the translation or the original writing but the prose was stilted and the messaging was too on the nose. I’m glad I read it though. A quick read that immerses you in Egypt.
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Peach Pit by Kristel Emma Buckley, Molly Llewellyn

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adventurous dark funny reflective fast-paced

4.5

What a fun idea for an anthology.
Have You Been Long Enough At Table by Leslie Sainz

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Not for me
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Just can’t get into this one on audio. I may try it some other time in print.