whatchareadingheather's reviews
707 reviews

Memorial by Bryan Washington

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

TBH I wasn’t sold on Ben and Mike’s relationship. Honestly, I was more invested in Ben and Mitsuko’s dynamic. But I did enjoy the author’s writing style and attention to detail so I will be checking out more of their work.
When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed, Victoria Jamieson

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

5.0

This is a great example of why graphic novels should always be taken seriously as a form of literature. This book helped me understand the refugee experience from general camp life to the extensive interview process for potential relocation to the United Nations' role in aiding refugees. 
the mermaid's voice returns in this one by Amanda Lovelace

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

What a rollercoaster of emotions! I need to go back and read the other 2 poetry collections now!
Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

UGH! This had soooooooo much potential with how creepy the first 1/3 of the book was but it straight up fizzled out and the big reveal was the utmost definition of WTF. This is an example of how sometimes an idea works in short form and fails when it gets expanded upon. Maybe I'll give the original short story a try in the future to compare notes.
Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling

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adventurous challenging mysterious 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? No

3.5

I was expecting this to be a bit more dystopian given the book’s description, but I think this shows what our future may hold as a society that disregards climate change while also showing the potential good that environmental leaders can have. Slightly lowered rating because of not being a fan of how the pit bulls were represented in this (as a mom of the sweetest pittie boy).
Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

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emotional lighthearted slow-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? It's complicated

3.25

This book had no business being as long at it was considering the description for it, but this author did an absolutely spectacular job at building the world of everyday Jamaica and cast of characters to the point where you’re completely immersed into the plot as if you were a local. 
The Cube by Adam Rapp

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mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

2.0

The potential for this to be super thought-provoking was there, but the execution was definitely not the best. Narration was decent. I can see this being expanded in an indie film.
Unfree Speech by Joshua Wong

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challenging informative medium-paced

4.25

Very much a cautionary tale that everyone who lives in the United States should read because this is quite literally happening to us. This made me understand why people get super paranoid about their personal information and date being sold to China, and the parallels of how far their government is going to silence their own people from fighting back and sharing the truth about what is going on in their country is absolutely mind-boggling to see as we are currently entering another 4 years of the president that I refuse to claim.
Grief by Frank Gogol

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A uniquely beautiful and easily digestible collection of stories that visually shows the many forms that grief can take and how anyone who has suffered can find a semblance of light in the darkness. I found that I shared experiences and emotions with many of the stories, and if they weren’t directly personal to me, I could think of certain people in my life that the story would relate to. 
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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emotional reflective sad slow-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

This book is unique to the point that I can't pinpoint any other book to compare it to. I think it does an amazing job of discussing the concept of grief and how it can take many forms that people tend to not be aware of (ex: grieving of a loved one, grieving a lost body part/organ, grieving of your former way of life). It also showcases the many different kinds of behaviors, actions, and coping methods of those experiencing depression and anxiety in such a beautiful and honest way for a work of fiction.

Disclaimer: I have educated myself on controversies regarding this author and this specific work in general. I had purchased this book long before I educated myself on the political climate regarding Isreal-Palestine, and do agree that the language used in this book is Zionist in nature. I have also sought out information on the plagiarism claims made against this book, and can definitely see that overt similarities to the game 'Train' and believe that it should receive its due acknowledgement (Linking article below)

 A novel, a Holocaust game, and accusations of uncredited work – J.