robin_b's reviews
570 reviews

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.5

4 stars for the first 70% or so of the book. The ending fell flat. There were at least 5 big reveals, each one followed by a "oops no it was actually..." and a different reveal. <Spoiler>The paternity plot felt forced. I had a hard time beliving Patrick's actions. I am still confused by his character and his motivation. Plus, it was implied that he was deeply depressed after his wife died. I can't see a person in a deep depression taking all the required steps to break into the mansion and kill the maid. I did not believe that Virginia would have been able to fake paralysis, either. If her limbs worked, she would have had reflexes that cannot be masked. Also, if she could move, surely one of the caretakers would have noticed her moving in her sleep. Kit said she was always in the same position, but you can't control your body when you're sleeping.

That being said, most of the book was well paced and engaging. I wish the ending had been different, but I still enjoyed the book.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

A Thousand Steps by T. Jefferson Parker, T. Jefferson Parker

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

3.0

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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dark 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

5.0

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Translation State by Ann Leckie

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adventurous funny tense fast-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

Mort(e) by Robert Repino

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
The dog dies
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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

3.0