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thattheatrekid's reviews
121 reviews
Night by Elie Wiesel
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I read this for class and will never regret it. Wiesel is a masterful writer. It feels like you’re reading a novel as he relays his real experiences in such a real way. The violence is not grotesque at all, simply stated in a matter-of-fact way. The way this book emphasizes the emotional and psychological developments of the Holocaust victims really punches in the impact of what happened. I wept when they arrived at Auschwitz and walked with Wiesel through his words. I don’t care what your personal reading preferences or sensitive topics are; read this book. We are here. We will never stay silent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder
Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved this book, as well as the lit Foster-Keefe content, but the plot really reminded me of how Shannon is making the mistake of having too many characters and plot points to keep track of. For example, Alden and Della disappeared from the story (seriously, they didn’t appear once), and so did Vertina. It felt like Shannon forgot all about Jensi the last several books and suddenly remembered and gave him an appearance in this book. The plot was a little all over the place. But I love how much Sophie and other characters have grown, it’s so realistic and they are so much more mature and different than when they started the series. Fluttery teen romance was incorporated more but it didn’t completely take over, which I really appreciated. Will definitely be rereading chapter 42, though I dread the next book because it means the series will end!
The Kill Order by James Dashner
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Was definitely not a fan. Other reviews sum my thoughts up well but this book was very confusing. It started out as interesting but then progressed into a series of boring, predictable action scenes. The characters were all one dimensional and I did not care about any of them (not to mention the four year old definitely does not talk like a four year old). I still can’t figure out if Mark and Trina actually were sick and died or not. Most of the middle was incoherent, completely cut everyone but Alec and Mark out, and I could not mentally track the geography or visualize what was happening. This book was unnecessary and would have been a better short story, maybe. I would have liked a story that had more to do with the original trilogy because this was nearly utterly unrelated, more like a standalone in the same dystopian world. There was also a lot of unnecessary gore and violence that was kind of a turn off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Abandonment
All Eyes on Her by L.E. Flynn
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
2.75
Full disclosure- I’m not a murder mystery reader or fan in general but this was my attempt at trying it out.
I don’t really know what to think. It was a difficult book to get through; there was a lot of repetition of the same points and the constant pov switching was confusing at times. It just dragged on and on and it was very hard for me to just not skip to the end. In its efforts to make a feminist point (which you are repeatedly beaten over the head with), this book leaves the reader dissatisfied because the truth of what happened is left unclear. It’s also unclear whether this is intentional. Certain things don’t add up no matter what side you take, and it’s a very unbelievable book in general. Parents were nonexistent in the story. I liked the concept but too much was kept vague and disorganized for me to enjoy the read.
I don’t really know what to think. It was a difficult book to get through; there was a lot of repetition of the same points and the constant pov switching was confusing at times. It just dragged on and on and it was very hard for me to just not skip to the end. In its efforts to make a feminist point (which you are repeatedly beaten over the head with), this book leaves the reader dissatisfied because the truth of what happened is left unclear. It’s also unclear whether this is intentional. Certain things don’t add up no matter what side you take, and it’s a very unbelievable book in general. Parents were nonexistent in the story. I liked the concept but too much was kept vague and disorganized for me to enjoy the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Abortion
Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Definitely not a quality or thought provoking read. Yes, it’s about telepathy, but it’s also about high school drama that is extremely cringey. It’s not hard to read but it took substantial willpower to make myself pick it up and finish it just because parts dragged on and on and I wanted to get back to the little plot that was there. The technicalities of everything (anything about the telepathy, thoughts, etc) made absolutely no sense so you really need to suspend disbelief. I also didn’t like the “we” narrative, it was very random. There were some fun parts but I was mostly rolling my eyes the whole way through.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Absolutely amazing, I could not put this down. As someone who knows how cutthroat the entertainment industry is (along with the parents), I can say Jenettes story is not the only one. So many children lose their childhoods to their parents’ unfulfilled dreams of stardom. This book was wonderfully written; she has a gift for storytelling. The ending could have been more satisfying, but then I remember it’s real. This is her life, not some work of fiction. The story is not over and neither is the journey of recovery and I understand that. As I rewatch iCarly or Sam and Cat there is so much to process about Mccurdy as you think about what was happening internally and behind the scenes. The corruption of Nickelodeon and Hollywood was especially revealed in Jenette’s story.
As someone who has never had to deal with an ED, this informed me on the reality and made my heart go out so much more to those who struggle with it, who feel they and their bodies aren’t enough. Now I understand why so many people bring awareness to this issue, because an ED is not an inconvenience; it is a life threatening personal hell. I can’t thank Jeanette enough for sharing her story.
HIGHLY recommend!
As someone who has never had to deal with an ED, this informed me on the reality and made my heart go out so much more to those who struggle with it, who feel they and their bodies aren’t enough. Now I understand why so many people bring awareness to this issue, because an ED is not an inconvenience; it is a life threatening personal hell. I can’t thank Jeanette enough for sharing her story.
HIGHLY recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Blood, Grief, and Stalking
The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall good book and I really liked the characters. However the world building and geography were very hard for me to follow in my head, and I have no idea if Colvin and Lia like each other or just have a sibling-like love. The first would be really weird because of their age gap but it overall just wasn’t clear on that. The end of the book wasn’t that satisfying either. But it is a good story and I would recommend giving it a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Classism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, and War
The Case for Heaven: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for Life After Death by Lee Strobel
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
An amazing eye opening book that really strengthened my faith. However, regardless of your religion (or lack thereof) I highly recommend this book if you enjoy thought provoking external perspectives - especially if the idea of an afterlife fascinates you.
For me personally this book answered my questions about heaven and really solidified my faith in the areas I was doubting. It was also quite engaging with many illustrations and stories. Im certain God chose this book for me at a store and I am so grateful I listened to the urge to get it.
For me personally this book answered my questions about heaven and really solidified my faith in the areas I was doubting. It was also quite engaging with many illustrations and stories. Im certain God chose this book for me at a store and I am so grateful I listened to the urge to get it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
Pure by Julianna Baggott
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Overall very rushed, and the author’s writing style was rather elementary. It felt like a YA plot at a sixth grader writing level.
A lot of violence was unnecessarily graphic and there was a lot of info dumping/exposition. The world building and imagery also weren’t too clear. I really wish the author hadn’t used present tense with third person though; it ticked me off and I don’t even know why.
But the plot was good and very interesting, and the drama kept me turning the pages. I just think the author rushed the writing too much.
A lot of violence was unnecessarily graphic and there was a lot of info dumping/exposition. The world building and imagery also weren’t too clear. I really wish the author hadn’t used present tense with third person though; it ticked me off and I don’t even know why.
But the plot was good and very interesting, and the drama kept me turning the pages. I just think the author rushed the writing too much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape and Terminal illness
Plague Land by Alex Scarrow
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
2.0
I didn’t like it. Terrible writing and the author clearly struggles with writing characters and dialogue. Unnecessarily gory. Could have had more potential.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Sexual harassment