the_wendybirb's reviews
52 reviews

King of the Rising by Kacen Callender

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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

4.0

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Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Absolutely loved this!
A Year Without a Name: A Memoir by Cyrus Grace Dunham

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reflective tense slow-paced

2.0

This book was pretty pretentious, and I got really bored with the number of "I" statements. (I recognize this is a memoir and "I" statements should be expected, but it was really repetitive!) It has a very dreamlike and unfocused quality to it, which I think shows the author's detachment and dysphoria. Unfortunately, that writing style is very difficult for me.
There's a number of other reviews that really enjoyed the book and saw themselves in the story. It may be a case of this just not being a book for me.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Interesting book, I'm sure I'll pick it up again. I just lost momentum and decided to move on rather than try to force my way through.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.5

Very fun and adventurous read! The beginning is rushed while the author gets the characters from where they are to where she needs them, but after 4 chapters the story begins in earnest and it gets a lot better. 

It's definitely a YA read, and has a love triangle that got tiresome sometimes, but overall I really liked this and I can't wait to read the sequel.
Tastes Like War: A Memoir by Grace M. Cho

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.
DNF'd after reading her brothers response to this memoir.
I'm unsure who to believe in this situation. I am sure the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but I didn't feel comfortable continuing considering his accusations and his hurt. I may considering picking it up again after doing more research and mulling over my feelings & ethics.
Blue-Skinned Gods by SJ Sindu

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emotional reflective 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 love this book. The last chapter (like 3 pages) is where I dropped stars, because it was strange and felt out of character. But I think this is a solid, fun and emotional read.
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Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia

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hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

A phenomenal memoir about growing up while navigating & exploring gender identity.
The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber

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adventurous mysterious slow-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

3.0

This book was so strange. The first half way an adventure story, and then it abruptly transitioned to a girl's coming of age novel. The passage of time was nebulous, and not in a way where it added to the plot. The descriptions were hard to picture, often leaving important details out that would be referenced 3 paragraphs later.

I think I would enjoy this book more if I was familiar with the folklore that inspired it. I wonder if there's a cultural compotent I'm missing about the stylistic choices the author made. In any case, I won't be picking this up again, it's not for me.
How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America by Moustafa Bayoumi

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challenging informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0