megan_bbender's reviews
91 reviews

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.5

My friends call me Magpie so when I saw this book on the shelf I just had to get it. It's not the most amazing book I have ever read but it also isn't the worst. I really enjoyed certain parts of it, but I found that there were lots and lots of filler pages that were very slow and boring to read.

I feel as if the author does not think the readers are smart enough to figure out the twist on their own which is why there was so much back and forth between the past and present. This is what made the book feel so slow, because you are reading over the same scenario twice.

After looking up the author, I can appreciate that this book may have a lot more deeper meaning as it possibly reflects some of her personal experiences with marriage and IVF but I personally cannot relate to these issues so there was not a strong connection for me.

With that being said, the twists and turns were really unexpected and they kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was a bit predictable but it was still enjoyable.

Content Warnings

Shiftless by Aimee Easterling

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Content Warnings

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

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dark emotional funny mysterious 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

3.0

I felt like this story was very slow in the beginning. When I got to around 200 pages, I logged it on my StoryGraph and said "holy sh*t, I'm not even halfway through?", but it really started to pick up towards the end, the last 150 pages or so were thrilling and it felt like the plot was finally moving, however the ending was so abrupt that genuinely can't believe that was it; it finally felt like something was coming out of this book and then *poof* it was gone.

With that being said I can actually appreciate the abruptness throughout the book, for example the very fast-ending sentences and scenarios really help to gain an understanding about how the characters are actually feeling and how fast everything in their community is actually changing.

To be honest, I was having more fun learning about the history of the community and kind of forgot about the plot. I did really like the characters though, Sydney is someone that I would love to be friends with, and the way the neighbours always had each others backs was heartwarming, and I definitely got super invested in the slow burn romance.

I liked the concept of this book and it was really intriguing but I feel like if it was shorter, I would've rated it a bit higher.

Content Warnings

Campfire by Shawn Sarles

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was really enjoying this book, especially in the beginning. However I started to lose interest around the last 50 pages.

I still think this is worth the read though. I thought it was a very interesting concept and it definitely gave me goosebumps at certain points.

The plot twist was not plot twisting.

Content Warnings

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

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adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was so beautiful, I really enjoyed reading it. It made me feel so much.

Content Warnings

The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman

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informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I'm so glad I decided to pick this up while grabbing Heartstopper Volume 5.

I love these characters so much, so it was super fun learning more about them. I listened to a playlist of all the songs included on the character sheets while reading this and I had the time of my life.

I greatly appreciate all the work that Alice Oseman has put into this series. I have become so obsessed and I can't wait to read more of Oseman's work in the future.

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

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adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced