krystalicia_'s reviews
185 reviews

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad fast-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

5.0

This is without a doubt a book I’d consider a guilty pleasure and reread on a regular basis. Is it the best writing I’ve ever read? No. Is it the most gripping story? No. But everything about the reading experience left me wanting more and more. First off, the hard cover is I think the most gorgeous book I’ve ever seen. The cover is great, but the author uses the pages themselves to showcase both Jack and August’s mental deterioration. The story was interesting and there is a constant acknowledgment that their relationship is anything but healthy and truly, it isn’t their fault. They are just two lonely boys doing the best they can with the cards they were dealt and my heart will never not break for them.
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

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

4.5

This book blessed me by allowing me to read all 164 pages of this beautiful writing. I felt like the author was physically clutching my heart as we followed the character through his joy, fears, anger, forgiveness, grief, and love. You’ll find yourself rereading every line multiple times to give attention to the beauty and lyricism of the words and sentence structure and story telling. 
Open Water made me fully believe two things: 1) soulmates exist which is depicted via the connection between the two characters grows and changes; and 2) it takes immense strength to allow yourself to feel and be vulnerable and you shouldn’t run away from that feeling.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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

4.0

I feel like the best way to describe this book would be delightful. It’s such a fun commentary of what society views as valuable, particularly what makes a person a valued member of society and how you are then thought of and treated as if you don’t fit into that mold. It’s also a really accessible way to getting an understanding of capitalism and traditional gender norms. Plus not sure if it’s intentional but Furukura Keiko is definitely Autistic-coded which adds an additional layer of really breaking down social norms in a way that calls out how vain we as a people really are.
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

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

3.0

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

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

5.0

I didn’t think I would love this book as much as I did, but wow. I learned so much from Nahr’s life and experiences and it led to a lot of self reflection, especially surrounding perspective on what makes someone a hero versus a villain and how your position in conflict makes those titles very different. One thing I love is that this is written essentially as an autobiography while this woman is being held in prison by Zionists, and while she’s sharing her story of challenges and trauma, she also finds time to talk about her joy in love, family, and the small mundane things. This was impactful for many reasons, and I’ll be the first to admit that I am ignorant to what’s going on in Palestine and it’s painful to see such blatant colonization happening today. I’ll definitely continue to reflect on this one.
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

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

3.5

It took me forever to get through the first 40 pages, but I flew through the majority of the book over the last day. I love books that really challenge the false concept of the American Dream and really bring light to physical, emotional, and psychological toll trying to achieve said dream can put on a family. I loved reading about the imagery and stories of Colombia since it’s a country I’ve never read too deeply on, but feels like there’s some parallels to the stories of my family which is always a pleasant surprise. 
Knocking it down to 3.5 stars due to personal preference. At first it was hard to follow along because there are multiple perspectives and stories being told throughout the book and you’re consistently being pushed from present tense to past tense. Still an enjoyable read all in all!
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

’m honestly speechless. This book was absolutely breathtaking and it’s difficult to put it into words. The author states it herself in her author’s not that there is not nearly enough contemporary fiction written about Indigenous people and you can feel the love poured into this story about cultural healing. You get an insight into the Ojibwe community’s customs, traditions, and teachings while embarking on a truly heartbreaking journey about the devastations that impact them. If you want a book that’d going to keep you needing more from the first chapter until the very end, this is the book for you.
Loveless by Alice Oseman

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.0

As per usual, the platonic friendships in this book gave me life. The characters all felt like real people with depth and even when they started to annoy you, it was never because it seemed unbelievable, but because you could probably pinpoint someone in your life that behaved similarly. Loved following Georgia on her journey to accepting her sexuality and honestly could be used as a really solid resource in explaining aromanticism and asexuality to people that are struggling with understanding these identities.
Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0