Scan barcode
lilacsandliterature's reviews
319 reviews
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Vuolo, Jinger Duggar Vuolo
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
How to leave one cult for another.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Incest, Rape, Sexual content, and Transphobia
The St. Ambrose School for Girls by Jessica Ward
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, and Murder
On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Murder
At Sea by Emma Fedor
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
When I finish a book right before bed and wake up still thinking about it, that’s the sign of a good book. This one had everything I love: interesting and complicated characters, beautiful writing, and situations that have you holding your breath as you turn the pages quickly.
Cara meets Brendan, a member of Army Special Forces and has an instant connection. But Brendan’s military career might not be all it seems as he struggles with what Cara thinks is PTSD. When Brendan disappears with their baby she searches for years, never giving up hope she’ll find them.
If you enjoy novels that switch from present to past, giving you small glimpses of the story each time and building to a crescendo then this one is for you. If you’re not a fan of character driven novels with a slow/medium pace then you might not enjoy it. But it was an easy 5 star for me, so beautifully written and such a unique story.
Cara meets Brendan, a member of Army Special Forces and has an instant connection. But Brendan’s military career might not be all it seems as he struggles with what Cara thinks is PTSD. When Brendan disappears with their baby she searches for years, never giving up hope she’ll find them.
If you enjoy novels that switch from present to past, giving you small glimpses of the story each time and building to a crescendo then this one is for you. If you’re not a fan of character driven novels with a slow/medium pace then you might not enjoy it. But it was an easy 5 star for me, so beautifully written and such a unique story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Kidnapping
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Murder
Moderate: Ableism and Homophobia
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Classism
Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Car accident, and Death of parent
When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Wow. Where to start? First off I want to be completely upfront that this book is incredibly trigger heavy so please proceed with caution: this book won’t be for everyone. I’ll include some triggers at the bottom of my review to keep in mind for those that need them.
This book started off incredibly slow for me and I contemplated stopping. I gave it one more go and I’m glad I did. It starts off with a young woman getting a call from one of her brothers that their other brother has been arrested for sexual assault. She can’t believe it. He’s a college athlete who has everything going for him - it can’t possibly be true. He has a prior relationship with the “alleged victim” so it couldn’t be assault, right? This is where I almost stopped. Rich white family goes hard defending one of their own from “some crazy girl’s” allegations - I wasn’t into it. But if you stick with it things take quite the turn.
If you enjoy dark literary fiction (again, heavy triggers so this won’t be for everyone) with a medium pace and frustrating characters, then you’ll definitely enjoy this one. It’s heavy on courtroom drama as well if you appreciate that in books. It’s certainly a very difficult subject matter but the author handled it well and leaves the moral verdict in your lap.
This book started off incredibly slow for me and I contemplated stopping. I gave it one more go and I’m glad I did. It starts off with a young woman getting a call from one of her brothers that their other brother has been arrested for sexual assault. She can’t believe it. He’s a college athlete who has everything going for him - it can’t possibly be true. He has a prior relationship with the “alleged victim” so it couldn’t be assault, right? This is where I almost stopped. Rich white family goes hard defending one of their own from “some crazy girl’s” allegations - I wasn’t into it. But if you stick with it things take quite the turn.
If you enjoy dark literary fiction (again, heavy triggers so this won’t be for everyone) with a medium pace and frustrating characters, then you’ll definitely enjoy this one. It’s heavy on courtroom drama as well if you appreciate that in books. It’s certainly a very difficult subject matter but the author handled it well and leaves the moral verdict in your lap.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Sexual assault