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luluwoohoo's reviews
473 reviews
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.5
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A wildly haunting, soulful story of war that doubles as a cautionary fable, triples as a coming-of-age, at one of the toughest times in history
▪️The undeniable highlight of this novel, like all Doerr books, is the astoundingly complex, romantic and fantastical prose. He writes every sentence like it'll be the most quoted line from the story, which makes the reading process wonderfully captivating, if not slower for all its success there
▪️Structurally writing this as a non-linear narrative did create a great deal of tension and intrigue, though I won't deny I struggled through the first third of the flashbacks while wanting more of the 'current' timeline
▪️The sensitivity shown in the portrayal of each character, all of whom are in some way destroyed by the war, is masterful. Marie-Laure in particular was a wonderful character to walk alongside; Doerr's prose feels especially well handled when describing her perspective as a blind person
▪️This is an undeniably stunning and heartbreaking piece of writing. I didn't cry, but I anticipate thinking about this story for a long, long time.
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A wildly haunting, soulful story of war that doubles as a cautionary fable, triples as a coming-of-age, at one of the toughest times in history
▪️The undeniable highlight of this novel, like all Doerr books, is the astoundingly complex, romantic and fantastical prose. He writes every sentence like it'll be the most quoted line from the story, which makes the reading process wonderfully captivating, if not slower for all its success there
▪️Structurally writing this as a non-linear narrative did create a great deal of tension and intrigue, though I won't deny I struggled through the first third of the flashbacks while wanting more of the 'current' timeline
▪️The sensitivity shown in the portrayal of each character, all of whom are in some way destroyed by the war, is masterful. Marie-Laure in particular was a wonderful character to walk alongside; Doerr's prose feels especially well handled when describing her perspective as a blind person
▪️This is an undeniably stunning and heartbreaking piece of writing. I didn't cry, but I anticipate thinking about this story for a long, long time.
"If your same blood doesn't run in the arms and legs of the person you're next to, you can't trust anything. And even then. It's not a person you wish to fight, Madame, it's a system. How do you fight a system?"
"You try."
Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Two Wrongs Make A Right by Chloe Liese
☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A cute fake dating romance that relies a little too much on tropes but still brings a lot of heart
▪️Bea is an interesting character and I appreciated the authenticity of her autistic portrayal, but the drawcard of the story was definitely Jamie. He's a wonderful book boyfriend who ticks a lot of boxes, though his family backstory felt a bit too generic for me. The side characters are decent but beyond Jules they aren't fleshed out enough to be truly memorable
▪️The build up of the romance was good albeit on a much shorter timeline than I like to read about. The sex scenes were well written with great chemistry between the pair
▪️My biggest gripe with the whole book was the third act breakup. While I sympathize with Bea's logic, the way it came out was beyond dumb and very out of character and ruined some of the charm for me. It happened way too late in the novel and resolved far too quickly to be anything other than annoying
▪️This was a quick and enjoyable novel that didn't break any barriers but definitely has a few standout moments within the oversaturated romance genre.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A cute fake dating romance that relies a little too much on tropes but still brings a lot of heart
▪️Bea is an interesting character and I appreciated the authenticity of her autistic portrayal, but the drawcard of the story was definitely Jamie. He's a wonderful book boyfriend who ticks a lot of boxes, though his family backstory felt a bit too generic for me. The side characters are decent but beyond Jules they aren't fleshed out enough to be truly memorable
▪️The build up of the romance was good albeit on a much shorter timeline than I like to read about. The sex scenes were well written with great chemistry between the pair
▪️My biggest gripe with the whole book was the third act breakup. While I sympathize with Bea's logic, the way it came out was beyond dumb and very out of character and ruined some of the charm for me. It happened way too late in the novel and resolved far too quickly to be anything other than annoying
▪️This was a quick and enjoyable novel that didn't break any barriers but definitely has a few standout moments within the oversaturated romance genre.
"People shouldn’t take on something to love and expect it to be convenient for them. You have to meet a living creature where they are, and love them for who they are, not who you want them to be."
"How original and singular each person is. The parts of our bodies that diet culture and photoshopping tell us we should try to erase and hide—human ‘imperfection’—they were what I thought, and still do think, make us works of art. Stretch marks. Wrinkles. Freckles and fine lines and rolls and curves. I realized I wanted to make art celebrating that, defending that belief."
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.25
In The Lives Of Puppets by TJ Klune
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥️
▪️A magical tale with filled with humour and heart that examines exactly what it means to be human
▪️The inspirations for this story are obvious but no less interesting for Klune's treatment of them. Thematically it is on the same wavelength as his other novels with a focus on found family, love and connection which I adored once again
▪️ The plot can essentially be divided into two parts - pacing-wise I thought the first half could have been tightened up to help with dramatic tensions in the second half, but overall I enjoyed the concept and it's execution
▪️The characters all bar one are robots, each with charming and funny personalities, though I will say the style of humour Klune goes for did get a bit tiresome by the end. The strongest elements were their love and connection to each other, particularly in the final chapter. Vic's characterisation was plainly autistic-coded which is so appropriate within this story and I really enjoyed his relationships with the others
▪️Klune has delivered another whimsical, heartfelt story that made me emotional to read and that I wouldn't hesitate to read again.
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥️
▪️A magical tale with filled with humour and heart that examines exactly what it means to be human
▪️The inspirations for this story are obvious but no less interesting for Klune's treatment of them. Thematically it is on the same wavelength as his other novels with a focus on found family, love and connection which I adored once again
▪️ The plot can essentially be divided into two parts - pacing-wise I thought the first half could have been tightened up to help with dramatic tensions in the second half, but overall I enjoyed the concept and it's execution
▪️The characters all bar one are robots, each with charming and funny personalities, though I will say the style of humour Klune goes for did get a bit tiresome by the end. The strongest elements were their love and connection to each other, particularly in the final chapter. Vic's characterisation was plainly autistic-coded which is so appropriate within this story and I really enjoyed his relationships with the others
▪️Klune has delivered another whimsical, heartfelt story that made me emotional to read and that I wouldn't hesitate to read again.
"No civilization can survive indifference. It spreads like a poison, turning fire into apathy, a dire infection whose cure requires more than most are willing to give."
"What do you do if you've forgotten all you know?"
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.0
The Woman In Me by Britney Spears (narrated by Michelle Williams)
☀️☀️☀️
▪️A brief inside look at the life of Britney Spears, who has been silenced for most of her fascinating and difficult life
▪️The memoir covers Britney's life from early childhood and the beginnings of her career through to now. The breadth of content is at war with the length of this book, which consistently feels rushed and glossed over without enough detail to emotionally connect with the subject matters at hand
▪️ Learning the details of the conservatorship was the most powerful and difficult portion of the memoir to listen to, but there were several heartbreaking segments that illustrate what a difficult life Britney has led in and out of the spotlight
▪️The writing style was incredibly basic and quite repetitive, and for many key moments there was a distinct lack of context and detail. I think Britney's ghostwriter owed her more help with the writing and structure of the book. Williams' narration was decent but not overly emotional, due in part to the writing style
▪️I am a big supporter of Britney and the awful things she's gone through, but this memoir left me wanting more.
☀️☀️☀️
▪️A brief inside look at the life of Britney Spears, who has been silenced for most of her fascinating and difficult life
▪️The memoir covers Britney's life from early childhood and the beginnings of her career through to now. The breadth of content is at war with the length of this book, which consistently feels rushed and glossed over without enough detail to emotionally connect with the subject matters at hand
▪️ Learning the details of the conservatorship was the most powerful and difficult portion of the memoir to listen to, but there were several heartbreaking segments that illustrate what a difficult life Britney has led in and out of the spotlight
▪️The writing style was incredibly basic and quite repetitive, and for many key moments there was a distinct lack of context and detail. I think Britney's ghostwriter owed her more help with the writing and structure of the book. Williams' narration was decent but not overly emotional, due in part to the writing style
▪️I am a big supporter of Britney and the awful things she's gone through, but this memoir left me wanting more.
"I wanted to hide, but I also wanted to be seen. Both things could be true."
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson (narrated by Kristin Atherton)
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️An utterly evocative, atmospheric vampire novel that triumphantly embodies the gothic genre with a dark and emotional heart
▪️This book is, in essence, an exploration of our narrators relationship with her abuser who is never named (but it definitely rhymes with 'macula') The strength of Constanta as a character is undeniable, as is the portrait painted of her husband and his centuries of control and abuse towards her and her fellow family members
▪️I loved the idea of the polyamorous relationship and how her lovers all helped each other escape, but I felt the characterisation of Magdalena and Alexei was weak in comparison to the central relationship. This is mostly due to the length, which was deliberately kept short and with pin-prick focus, but I longed for more world-building and character development amongst the incredibly long time jumps
▪️The prose throughout is exquisite - being written in epistolary style and directed at the unnamed "you" really allowed Gibson opportunities to make this intimate and passionate in ways you couldn't achieve otherwise. This was significantly enhanced by the narration by Kristin Atherton which totally blew me away
▪️I really enjoyed this interpretation of a story we're all familiar with, but I was left wanting more beyond the scope of the abusive relationship. This MUST be listened to - Atherton's delivery is pitch perfect!
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️An utterly evocative, atmospheric vampire novel that triumphantly embodies the gothic genre with a dark and emotional heart
▪️This book is, in essence, an exploration of our narrators relationship with her abuser who is never named (but it definitely rhymes with 'macula') The strength of Constanta as a character is undeniable, as is the portrait painted of her husband and his centuries of control and abuse towards her and her fellow family members
▪️I loved the idea of the polyamorous relationship and how her lovers all helped each other escape, but I felt the characterisation of Magdalena and Alexei was weak in comparison to the central relationship. This is mostly due to the length, which was deliberately kept short and with pin-prick focus, but I longed for more world-building and character development amongst the incredibly long time jumps
▪️The prose throughout is exquisite - being written in epistolary style and directed at the unnamed "you" really allowed Gibson opportunities to make this intimate and passionate in ways you couldn't achieve otherwise. This was significantly enhanced by the narration by Kristin Atherton which totally blew me away
▪️I really enjoyed this interpretation of a story we're all familiar with, but I was left wanting more beyond the scope of the abusive relationship. This MUST be listened to - Atherton's delivery is pitch perfect!
"Even loneliness, hollow and cold, becomes so familiar it starts to feel like a friend."
"You did not let me keep my name, so I will strip you of yours. In this world you are what I say you are, and I say you are a ghost, a long night's fever dream that I have finally woken up from. I say you are the smoke-wisp memory of a flame, thawing ice suffering under an early spring sun, a chalk ledger of depts being wiped clean. I say you do not have a name."
"Sometimes, when I walk through the city, I get a crawling feeling on the back of my neck that compels me to turn around. Sometimes, I think I see your face in the crowd, only for an instant, before you’re swept away by the masses once again."
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters
☀️☀️⛅
▪️For a queer romance set in a sex shop, I found this story underwhelming, underdeveloped, and a bit cringe
▪️The concept is solid, but Stetz-Waters seems to lean away from the hook of two women working to save a sex shop by focusing on their mutual connection through art. This would have been fine if the book was sold as an art romance, but the sex shop felt like it existed in the story as comic relief only, and was blatantly cis-centric with zero resolution when the issue was raised
▪️I always struggle with fast-paced romances like this, but going from strangers to being in love in less than a month cannot be believable except in extremely specific circumstances (which this did not have). Their chemistry was okay and I appreciated Selena's mindframe around their sexual relationship, but the combination of lacklustre sex scenes and Cade magically undoing all of her sexual struggles in one night totally ruined the setup for me
▪️The supporting characters were all severely underdeveloped and cringe-worthy in their execution - their presence felt like it existed for the shock factor only, to show how 'generic' Cade is, and not to actually progress the very basic plot forward
▪️I wanted to enjoy the quirkiness of this story, and it was relatively quick and enjoyable to read, but after minimal contemplation I realised just how many issues I had with it. It's not objectively bad, but it definitely isn't for me.
☀️☀️⛅
▪️For a queer romance set in a sex shop, I found this story underwhelming, underdeveloped, and a bit cringe
▪️The concept is solid, but Stetz-Waters seems to lean away from the hook of two women working to save a sex shop by focusing on their mutual connection through art. This would have been fine if the book was sold as an art romance, but the sex shop felt like it existed in the story as comic relief only, and was blatantly cis-centric with zero resolution when the issue was raised
▪️I always struggle with fast-paced romances like this, but going from strangers to being in love in less than a month cannot be believable except in extremely specific circumstances (which this did not have). Their chemistry was okay and I appreciated Selena's mindframe around their sexual relationship, but the combination of lacklustre sex scenes and Cade magically undoing all of her sexual struggles in one night totally ruined the setup for me
▪️The supporting characters were all severely underdeveloped and cringe-worthy in their execution - their presence felt like it existed for the shock factor only, to show how 'generic' Cade is, and not to actually progress the very basic plot forward
▪️I wanted to enjoy the quirkiness of this story, and it was relatively quick and enjoyable to read, but after minimal contemplation I realised just how many issues I had with it. It's not objectively bad, but it definitely isn't for me.
"Your parents love you.”
“Fine, but they don’t…” What was it that had touched Cade so deeply about Selena sitting down in front of the laptop? “They don’t take care of me. She did.”
The Bookseller's Apprentice by Amelia Mellor
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-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
4.25
The Book-Seller's Apprentice by Amelia Mellor
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥️
▪️This follow up to "Grandest Bookshop" was just as enthralling, nail-biting and harrowing as the original
▪️Billy as a protagonist is wonderfully relatable and his character arc was satisfying to read. His friendship with Kezia felt authentic for their age, though it wasn't quite as compelling to me as the siblings from Grandest Bookshop, and I also enjoyed his working relationship with Cole
▪️ The way we met the varied entertainers and stallholders in advance of their necessity to the quest was very well handled, and the challenges Billy faced were as gripping as they were terrifying. Maximillian was, as always, a fascinating villain!
▪️The pacing of this book felt a bit slower, with the duel not beginning until a way into the book, but the world building before that paid off with how little we needed to focus on those elements during the escalating tension of the quest
▪️Mellor has proven herself not to be a one trick pony, writing another captivating tale that is difficult to put down.
☀️☀️☀️☀️🌥️
▪️This follow up to "Grandest Bookshop" was just as enthralling, nail-biting and harrowing as the original
▪️Billy as a protagonist is wonderfully relatable and his character arc was satisfying to read. His friendship with Kezia felt authentic for their age, though it wasn't quite as compelling to me as the siblings from Grandest Bookshop, and I also enjoyed his working relationship with Cole
▪️ The way we met the varied entertainers and stallholders in advance of their necessity to the quest was very well handled, and the challenges Billy faced were as gripping as they were terrifying. Maximillian was, as always, a fascinating villain!
▪️The pacing of this book felt a bit slower, with the duel not beginning until a way into the book, but the world building before that paid off with how little we needed to focus on those elements during the escalating tension of the quest
▪️Mellor has proven herself not to be a one trick pony, writing another captivating tale that is difficult to put down.
"If Billy couldn't solve the problems no one else would, then what was the point of him? Who would want him around if he wasn't useful anymore?"
"It was a wonderful thing to take up space, to be noticed, to make the world stop for you because you were big enough to matter."
For Real by Alexis Hall
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
For Real by Alexis Hall
☀️☀️🌤️
▪️A BDSM romance story that attempts to balance those two worlds, though not successfully enough for me
▪️The premise for this novel was so strong and subversive - a young, naive dominant with an older, introverted submissive - that I had high hopes for it. The characterisation was well done for both love interests but I never really believed in their chemistry or understood what it was that made each other THE solution. Most of the sex scenes felt mechanical, and the casual interpretation of BDSM practices toed the line of comfort way too much for my tastes
▪️I found this book far too long for what it ultimately achieved - the tangents focusing on Laurie's old Oxford life and Toby's career struggles did aid with the character development but they also stagnated the pace that had been building nicely in the first third
▪️What I always enjoy is Hall's unique brand of humour, which invariably pops up in quippy dialogue as a nice contrast to the more poetical prose he tends to write. I do wish there was more humour to balance the darker themes here, though
▪️I wanted to enjoy this but ultimately a romance lives and dies in its romantic believability and I couldn't connect with the love story enough to call this a success
☀️☀️🌤️
▪️A BDSM romance story that attempts to balance those two worlds, though not successfully enough for me
▪️The premise for this novel was so strong and subversive - a young, naive dominant with an older, introverted submissive - that I had high hopes for it. The characterisation was well done for both love interests but I never really believed in their chemistry or understood what it was that made each other THE solution. Most of the sex scenes felt mechanical, and the casual interpretation of BDSM practices toed the line of comfort way too much for my tastes
▪️I found this book far too long for what it ultimately achieved - the tangents focusing on Laurie's old Oxford life and Toby's career struggles did aid with the character development but they also stagnated the pace that had been building nicely in the first third
▪️What I always enjoy is Hall's unique brand of humour, which invariably pops up in quippy dialogue as a nice contrast to the more poetical prose he tends to write. I do wish there was more humour to balance the darker themes here, though
▪️I wanted to enjoy this but ultimately a romance lives and dies in its romantic believability and I couldn't connect with the love story enough to call this a success
"When he kisses me there, it's hot and cold and sort of bright all at once, as if my veins are full of light[...] And I'm glad I've got something to hold on to because I could fall through the cracks in the universe on feeling this good."
The Mother by Jane Caro
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Mother by Jane Caro
☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A confronting tale examining the horrors of domestic abuse and the ineffective police system from a little-told perspective
▪️The pacing of this was a little odd - the building of the story in the first third provided tension, but not in the way it needed to - I was waiting for IT to happen impatiently, rather than anxiously - but this improved once Nick's abuse was revealed. The time jumps felt a bit jarring but I recognise their necessity in the grand scheme of the plot, and by the end I felt Caro had improved
▪️Most of the characters presented to us are at least in part unlikeable, which helps to highlight Nick's skill in performing as a good guy. I would have liked a bit more development of Fiona, even perhaps the possibility of a perspective jump to better tell certain parts of the story
▪️ The strength of this story was the exploration of Miriam's complicated relationship with her daughters. The reckless and emotional teenage behaviour of her daughter shadowed her ability to recognise her abuse; her other daughter also suffers, being the 'reliable one' who doesn't get the attention she desires. These aspects of their characters felt well developed and provided an authentic backdrop to the story at hand
▪️I read this quickly and did enjoy it despite the difficult subject matter. As a debut adult fiction, Caro has done well and I'd consider reading her future works.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
▪️A confronting tale examining the horrors of domestic abuse and the ineffective police system from a little-told perspective
▪️The pacing of this was a little odd - the building of the story in the first third provided tension, but not in the way it needed to - I was waiting for IT to happen impatiently, rather than anxiously - but this improved once Nick's abuse was revealed. The time jumps felt a bit jarring but I recognise their necessity in the grand scheme of the plot, and by the end I felt Caro had improved
▪️Most of the characters presented to us are at least in part unlikeable, which helps to highlight Nick's skill in performing as a good guy. I would have liked a bit more development of Fiona, even perhaps the possibility of a perspective jump to better tell certain parts of the story
▪️ The strength of this story was the exploration of Miriam's complicated relationship with her daughters. The reckless and emotional teenage behaviour of her daughter shadowed her ability to recognise her abuse; her other daughter also suffers, being the 'reliable one' who doesn't get the attention she desires. These aspects of their characters felt well developed and provided an authentic backdrop to the story at hand
▪️I read this quickly and did enjoy it despite the difficult subject matter. As a debut adult fiction, Caro has done well and I'd consider reading her future works.
"The silence was within her and without her. And she was not used to it[...] She had not had to face herself and her own thoughts for as long as she could remember. Now they hammered at her, deafening her through the quiet."