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thyroyalreader's reviews
75 reviews
No Particular Night or Morning by Ray Bradbury
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Not my favourite of Bradbury’s “The Illustrated Man” but criminally underrated. Seems to perfectly capture even my own experiences with depersonalisation and derealisation, as well as the object of solloquism that asks if there is any form of object permanence- in our minds, our hearts, or in reality, displayed to the extreme in the character Hitchcock. For Bradbury’s work, this one was less unsettling due to technology, but instead commentary on the terror that is mankind to itself. Technology supplementing the eminent overthinking! Classic Bradbury subverting Bradbury.
Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Did as it was expected to, and I read this for my Philosophy class. I thoroughly enjoyed how the information was portrayed through a frame narrative but sometimes it would lean too much into one style, feeling as if it curbed the ability of the other style to follow-up in a smooth manner. Overall, I was drawn from the start by the cosy vibes of Sophie’s World and I understand why so many use this as their jumping off point for philosophy!
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Uses highly effective storytelling techniques to create engaging snapshots into lives and facets of people- some characters were more or less intriguing than others, but once this book gets you hooked, it’s caught you.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
listening to it as an audiobook most definitely saved this experience for me 🙏
Pride, Prejudice, and Pledging: A Modern Retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Sara Marks
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Solid 3 star book- I was going to give it a lower one because of common, noticeable errors in punctuation that messed up my reading experience, but I did enjoy the drama! I read this while also reading the original Pride and Prejudice so it was really funny attempting to discern characters- and maybe it’s a flaw with the original as well, but there’s so many, between Charlotte and Caroline, I was constantly getting names mixed up. A lot of characters were introduced early, so if you’ve already read the original, you are good to go! This didn’t much effect the scoring because I imagine most readers of this book are in a far different situation than I am lol.
Also, for anyone interested in getting this for a school or personal library or gift: this book is a closed-door romance and has strong language at times with frequent mention of alcohol (I was a bit concerned about these characters tbh for their alcohol levels😭). Overwhelming, it seems fine for 13+, to me, as long as the reader doesn’t get easily frustrated with teenager-like behaviour from adults and frequent miscommunication. All in all, fun book for a fun time!
Also, for anyone interested in getting this for a school or personal library or gift: this book is a closed-door romance and has strong language at times with frequent mention of alcohol (I was a bit concerned about these characters tbh for their alcohol levels😭). Overwhelming, it seems fine for 13+, to me, as long as the reader doesn’t get easily frustrated with teenager-like behaviour from adults and frequent miscommunication. All in all, fun book for a fun time!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault and Trafficking
Blue Lock, Vol. 6 by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Out of them all thus far, this one seems to be to be a transition between the 1st and 2nd selection, so it suffered because of that, though I understand it’s necessary but could’ve been executed differently? In comparison to book 5, there were less “epic playing” moments but Itoshi Rin was the saving grace. Man fully bumped the rank up a point for being such a legend. The one guy who kept complaining, unfortunately, knocked it back down a quarter lol.
Eleven by Sandra Cisneros
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Blue Lock, Vol. 5 by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.75