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waytoomanybooks's reviews
140 reviews
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
This novel is an extremely light murder mystery. You can skim whole chapters and still understand what's happening. Two of the twists were pretty dumb, but the last one (on the last page) was chilling and it made me wish that that had been the focus off the novel. Or at least part of the main plot.
The story is told from the prospective of two characters, which was refreshing because so many books these days include way too many points of view. I prefer books from one person's perspective, but two were okay.
I'd say that this is the okay-est book I read this year.
The story is told from the prospective of two characters, which was refreshing because so many books these days include way too many points of view. I prefer books from one person's perspective, but two were okay.
I'd say that this is the okay-est book I read this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
House of Hollow is a gorgeously written, dark and twisted fairytale set in modern-day Scotland. Iris knows she and her two sisters haven't been normal since they were kidnapped as children. She is determined to figure out exactly who took them, what happened to them, and why they seem to have otherworldly powers. Iris leads readers on a nightmarish journey: through magic doors, coming face-to-face with the walking dead, cursed kisses, and long-lost family members.
This book is totally out of my wheelhouse, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance! It's a fast, fun read, but you should definitely check out trigger/content warnings before reading as the book can get fairly graphic in its depiction of gruesome imagery. If you like Stranger Things, you'll like this book.
This book is totally out of my wheelhouse, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance! It's a fast, fun read, but you should definitely check out trigger/content warnings before reading as the book can get fairly graphic in its depiction of gruesome imagery. If you like Stranger Things, you'll like this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A magical realism tale that centers around several generations of a circus family. The characters were interesting, but the story kind of loses its way about two-thirds of the way in. It should've been 100 pages shorter to keep the story sharp and concise, and it needed a cleaner ending.
I'm also going to echo another reviewer and say that Simon shouldn't have been the main character. The main character should've been a woman who worried about her family's past and her own future.
It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. I got for $1.25, so I can't really complain.
I'm also going to echo another reviewer and say that Simon shouldn't have been the main character. The main character should've been a woman who worried about her family's past and her own future.
It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. I got for $1.25, so I can't really complain.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I've avoided reading this novel for around 20 years because I know how the book ends. I know for a fact that young me would've been devastated, and so I ran from it. But when I found the 40th anniversary edition for $1.75, I felt compelled to finally read it since it felt like I had a "special" copy.
There's nothing I can say about the sorry that hasn't already been said, so I'll be brief. The writing is both beautiful and moving, the characters feel real and raw, and, despite knowing how it ends, I still teared up. I highly recommend this book.
There's nothing I can say about the sorry that hasn't already been said, so I'll be brief. The writing is both beautiful and moving, the characters feel real and raw, and, despite knowing how it ends, I still teared up. I highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, and Grief
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
This book was a gut punch. It was consistently sad the whole way through, but it ends on a hopeful note, at the very least. It's about an emotionally broken family that never heals. It's about childhood disappointments that turn into regrets in adulthood. It's about not fitting in, no matter your age or position in life. This is not a pick-me-up and does not take the tack of “it gets better,” but it is beautifully written. The gorgeous language is what made me keep turning the pages, and quickly, too, but overall, the story was lackluster. Which is disappointing because I could see what the novel could’ve been with another round of editing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror
Too Much and Not the Mood: Essays by Durga Chew-Bose
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
This book is word salad. She is trying so hard to sound deep, but half the time, she isn't saying anything. For example, she writes that "right angles" are "athletic," and athleticism is "suggestive." Totally meaningless. She just throws random words together: "lowercase history," "life's second ply," "adjunct mother," "plush pebble," etc.
She also rapidly shifts from topic to topic, making her writing even more difficult to follow. Her first "essay" begins with her talking about an emoji, and 38 pages later, she's talking about living in NYC. If I wrote anything like this when I was a student, my professor would've told me I had no thesis statement and that I lacked direction. So how this book got published is beyond me.
She also rapidly shifts from topic to topic, making her writing even more difficult to follow. Her first "essay" begins with her talking about an emoji, and 38 pages later, she's talking about living in NYC. If I wrote anything like this when I was a student, my professor would've told me I had no thesis statement and that I lacked direction. So how this book got published is beyond me.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Beautiful writing, but quite repetitive and plodding. It's almost all told through exposition and description than dialogue, which is central to the theme. Silence, vision, and hearing create the heart and soul of the novel. If I had to sum the whole book up in one sentence, it would be: It's about the way men experience trauma and the ways they do/do not process trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma
March by Geraldine Brooks
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The first half of the book was really enjoyable because I found the premise of the novel to be enticing. But as the story went on, the plotlines became more and more convoluted and ridiculous, and the characters became more and more insufferable. By the end of the novel, I didn't have any sympathy for either Robert or Marmee. I would've been more interested to read a book from Brooks' original character, Grace, instead.
Nothing can ruin my childhood love of Little Women, but Brooks' made a valiant attempt.
Spoilers below:
Marmee and Robert March were borne from a solid foundation from both Alcott and Brooks' novels, but their relationship was in ruins by the end of the novel. How and why on earth would someone write something so stupid?
Nothing can ruin my childhood love of Little Women, but Brooks' made a valiant attempt.
Spoilers below:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Don't read this book.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-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? Yes
2.5
There were enjoy enough enticing tidbits to keep me turning the pages, hoping that something interesting was about to happen...but nothing ever did. This would've worked better if some of the characters had been cut in order to focus on telling one or two strong storylines. The book is just way too long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Violence, Cannibalism, and Car accident
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
I DNF-ed this book because of the normalization of the narrator's relationship with an adult man, which began when she was still a minor. I would've been more willing to read this fictionalized retelling of these true events if this relationship was shown in a bad light, but everyone--friends and family included--were in full support. And not once did the narrator say anything negative about his advances nor about their eventual marriage. I mean, her step-son was her exact age for goodness' sake. I couldn't stomach it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia