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safsaf118's reviews
264 reviews
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
I wasn’t exactly sure what the premise of this story was but I ended up really enjoying it. It was eerie and unsettling without being unnecessarily disturbing. It still touched on some dark topics and slowly built up to a really twisted reveal. The focus on family and aunties really ties the whole story together, and was probably my favourite part.
Do You Remember Being Born? by Sean Michaels
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book started off really strong. I found myself really drawn into the conversations between Marian and Charlotte. If anything, their discussions on art/ownership/inspiration and AI are even more relevant today (writing this review a year later lol). But I have to admit part of the ending was a bit unsatisfactory and left me with more questions than answers — Why did she decide to include a random poet into this whole project?
The Circle by Katherena Vermette
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was so apprehensive heading into this book because I didn’t really enjoy The Strangers, but this was really beautiful. Difficult to read at times and tough to get through, but I felt like this was super hopeful. I loved how we got to follow so many different perspectives who all connected by the actions of one person - and how their lives have been changed because of it, for better or for worse. Cedar deserves the world. And I really liked how we got to delve more into Phoenix’s perspective, and the layers to someone who can commit such a horrible act.
Lucky Wreck: Poems by Ada Limón
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Another book of poetry that I’d always read snippets from but never actually read cover to cover. I really loved a lot of these. Some of my favourites are The Unbearable, The Spider Web, The Way Things Have Been Going Lately and The Lost Glove. There’s probably others but I can’t remember, I just love her writing.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
adventurous
hopeful
sad
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
This was a weird one, I’m not really sure how I feel about it. It was incredibly dark at some moments and touched on the painful reality of racism, but through the eyes of somone young and naive (and white). The women in this book were really what made it stand out, I loved their connection and steadfast support for each other.
Very Cold People by Sarah Manguso
dark
emotional
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? No
1.75
This was so bleak and dark and not in a good way. I feel like we never really got a better understanding of why her mother was so miserable, but maybe that was the point. I really did not like this at all but I keep reading to see what would happen. The ending really was so morbid for no reason. I just couldn’t handle this.
Marvelous by Molly Greeley
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
5.0
No description could have prepared me for what I was getting myself into. My heart still hurts when I think of everything Pedro went through. So unlike anything I’ve read before. This reminded me why historical fiction is the best genre to ever exist.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This ripped my heart out.
“Years passed. The trees in our yard grew taller. I watched my family and my friends and neighbors, the teachers whom I'd had or imagined having, the high school I had dreamed about. As I sat in the gazebo I would pretend instead that I was sitting on the topmost branch of the maple under which my brother had swallowed a stick and still played hide-and-seek with Nate, or I would perch on the railing of a stairwell in New York and wait for Ruth to pass near. I would study with Ray. Drive the Pacific Coast Highway on a warm afternoon of salty air with my mother. But I would end each day with my father in his den.
I would lay these photographs down in my mind, those gathered from my constant watching, and I could trace how one thing — my death — connected these images to a single source. No one could have predicted how my loss would change small moments on Earth. But I held on to those moments, hoarded them. None of them were lost as long as I was there watching.”
“Years passed. The trees in our yard grew taller. I watched my family and my friends and neighbors, the teachers whom I'd had or imagined having, the high school I had dreamed about. As I sat in the gazebo I would pretend instead that I was sitting on the topmost branch of the maple under which my brother had swallowed a stick and still played hide-and-seek with Nate, or I would perch on the railing of a stairwell in New York and wait for Ruth to pass near. I would study with Ray. Drive the Pacific Coast Highway on a warm afternoon of salty air with my mother. But I would end each day with my father in his den.
I would lay these photographs down in my mind, those gathered from my constant watching, and I could trace how one thing — my death — connected these images to a single source. No one could have predicted how my loss would change small moments on Earth. But I held on to those moments, hoarded them. None of them were lost as long as I was there watching.”
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire
dark
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
I’ve always read certain poems or snippets but this is my first time reading one of her entire collections. Some standouts include Backwards, Bless the real housewife and Bless the gun tossed into a river.
“’l’ll rewrite this whole life and this time, there’ll be so much love you won’t be able to see beyond it.”
“’l’ll rewrite this whole life and this time, there’ll be so much love you won’t be able to see beyond it.”
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
adventurous
challenging
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
4.0
Unfortunately every one of these books blends together for me because once I started the first one, I couldn’t stop. I devoured the entire series in a couple of days — don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get into this series.