kaadie's reviews
173 reviews

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

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adventurous funny lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It's Percy Jackson. Of course it's good, nuff said. 
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. I love novels that manage to capture the incredible complexity of people and the societies they inhabit all bundled up in the mediocrity of everyday life. I loved the insights into feminism, reproductive health and female relationships. Really beautiful prose and I loved the occasional surrealist sojourns.

My one criticism would be that the book did feel a bit long. 
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

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

3.0

I really really wanted to like this book. It was like the literary, Swiss version of Carl from Up but damn, Ove was an ass. I did laugh frequently when reading this book and the ending was lovely. Also all of Ove's nostalgia around his wife was heart-breaking and beautiful but I couldn't get past the pure unlikeability of the main character. He lowkey ruined it for me, which is a pity because he is the titular character. 
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

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lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The ending of this book was really anticlimactic and the story was quite predictable. I suppose the twist about who actually killed Merritt was interesting but did not warrant a 400+ page telling of it. I didn't find any of the characters fun or relatable and they were all selfish and stupid in their own ways. I suppose the dreamy, old-money setting of Nantucket was nice but it just felt superficial and like the author was really trying to get a paid promotion from a travel agency. Overall a pretty mediocre read. 
Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini

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adventurous mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

This book was okay. There were a few philosophical musings that definitely resonated with me but I typically don't enjoy novels set in outer space and this book definitely didn't change my mind about that. 
Letters to Milena by Franz Kafka

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reflective slow-paced

1.0

I can't lie, it was a battle to finish this book. Each page an agony. Kafka's intense adoration was cute for the first few letters but it got old so fast. Not at all a book for me, almost became a DNF. 
Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I love these books. Percy is a spectacular main character. He is funny, relatable, sweet, honest, flawed, brave and just a delight to read. This book brings back all those lovely, hazy feelings of nostalgia and teenage adventure. 
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

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emotional informative reflective tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

Not a book I necessarily enjoyed reading considering the content but a really interesting and nuanced look into Zimbabwe and particularly the effect colonization and tradition alike had on women. I really enjoyed the way in which it was written. It made the somber material quite digestible.  
World of Warcraft Vol. 4. by Walt Simonson

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

World of Warcraft, Vol. 3 by Walt Simonson, Louise Simonson

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adventurous mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0