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natreadthat's reviews
396 reviews
- 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? No
3.5
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Blood, War
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery
- 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
Quirky banter, falling into a $75,000 wedding cake and falling into love, drama…this story has it all!
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Death of parent, War
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder
- 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? No
4.0
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Police brutality
- 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
4.5
Barbara Van Lear, the rebellious, misunderstood daughter of the wealthy owners of Camp Emerson goes missing one summer morning. Through the eyes of different characters and timelines, we follow leads as they come in piece by piece.
Linear timelines can be notoriously hard to follow, but I had no trouble switching POVs nearly every other chapter. Each character was unique with important pieces of the story, or at least dislikable but interesting enough to not skip over. The book was on the longer side, really allowing for character development, and threw in a few delicious twists that readers might be able to pick up on. Overall, the summer camp vibes made me a bit nostalgic and the mystery kept me entertained to the end!
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Sexism
- 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
4.0
When Mia’s fourteen year-old, non-speaking brother, Eugene, races home after a day at the park with their dad, she’s just excited to see him running. Later that night, when realization sets in that their dad never returned home, the family goes into survival mode: find Dad at all costs. I was very quickly invested in the family, the missing person case, and the characters’ growth.
There’s so much in this book. The slow burn mystery, told from future tense, keeps you on your toes. Eugene’s character, who has autism and Angelman syndrome, begs us to reevaluate how society—and you and I—equates intelligence. The missing person element questions if it’s better to be realistic or positive. The father’s pursuit of happiness asks what it means to be happy and if there’s different aspects to happiness. All of this (and more) were surprisingly deep. I love when a book makes me philosophical!
Moderate: Ableism, Grief
Minor: Bullying, Racism, Rape
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident
- 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
Hannah Martin is putting together the pieces of her life—she has no career, has just broken up with her (married) boyfriend, and is moving for the seventh time since graduating college. As she heads to her hometown of LA to live with her best friend, two parallel universes take shape.
The concept itself was enjoyable; I liked seeing how Hannah’s decisions played out in two different ways. It was a fun little read, I just wish I were on a beach while reading it!
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Grief, Car accident