sydneyrcruse's reviews
71 reviews

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

This book was a 3 star for me right until the end. I loved the twists throughout this book and I absolutely did not see some of them coming. Very sweet love story!
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan

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challenging emotional informative mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

My favorite read of the year thus far! I absolutely loved every minute of this book. I was completely hooked from the very beginning. I definitely grasp the conflict Olivia feels of wanting her son to be innocent vs the anger she sees in him.
The only part I was not a fan of was went the justice system decided to absolve Mya when they were so ready to convict Asher of 1st degree murder. I understand it I guess… but just didn’t make sense to me
Definitely highly recommend this one! 
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a wild ride and good view of this villain’s origin story. Can’t wait for the movie!
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

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

2.0

This book was so confusing to me. I appreciate the author's writing style but feel she should have spent more time developing the story's themes and symbolism. The author seemed to have a lot she wanted to convey but struggled to fully convey it all to the reader. The fantasy and magic were all over the place and went way over my head as nothing was really explained.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

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challenging emotional sad 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

2.0

This book started out so good and had me craving more and more. Once the climax and “big reveal hit” it all went completely down hill. The details of the reveal were confusing and felt so random. Kinda upset about the ending. Feels very incomplete. 
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

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challenging emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

Overall a great read! I feel that the side plot of the book was very… random, but added an interesting mix to a basic love story. 
Normal People by Sally Rooney

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reflective slow-paced

1.0

I am usually all for a chaotic and complicated love story, but this was an absolute struggle to read. The writing style immediately threw me off guard and was something I couldn’t get over the whole read. I couldn’t stand that there was no quotations around dialogue. The story was incredibly slow and felt like a continuous cycle. 
All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

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

4.0

This book reflects the struggles so many couples go through with infertility. A very cute love story that definitely has its ups and downs. I spent half the time screaming to myself “What’s in the box!!??” 
If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

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emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-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

4.0

This book left me wanting so much more but in a good way.
Beast by Brie Spangler

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reflective 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

3.0

Very sweet and unique book!