angieoverbooked's reviews
499 reviews

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

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emotional informative reflective sad tense
  • 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

4.75

I knew from Villavicencio's nonfiction, the Undocumented Americans, that her narrative writing skills were top tier so learning about her upcoming novel thrilled me. It did not disappoint!

This was everything- vulnerable, messy, insightful, funny, unsettling, devastating.

I will remember Catalina for a long, long time.

Ratings
Quality of Writing 5/5
Pacing 5/5
Plot Development 4/5
Character Development 5/5
Overall Enjoyability 5/5
Takeout Sushi by Christopher Green

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5.0

This is an excellent, compelling, and memorable collection. Quite ordinary characters living ordinary lives, but extraordinary and fascinating things happen to them. I definitely recommend this for fans of short stories. I plan to re-read several of them. 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

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4.5

The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell

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informative reflective

4.0

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

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4.5

Overall, I really enjoyed this. While I knew this was a fake-dating story, there was one major element of their “deal” that really bothered me. But I kept going and I started to fall for Amerie and Vincent as they fell for each other.

What I liked:
-Amerie and Vincent's parents. The family scenes were lovely.
-Vincent makes science oh so sexy.
-Amerie's career as an event planner- and how passionate she was about it.
-Great music references.

What I didn't like:
-That part I already mentioned but don't want to spoil. Luckily, I had a reading partner who helped me move on and focus more on the parts I appreciated.
- Some other communication choices that didn't align with what I believed about certain relationships.
 
Personal connections:
-Amerie is an only child, her parents are married, and her mom has health issues that Amerie has observed since childhood. I related to this completely.
- Vincent has siblings and is the oldest. This matches my husband. Big family dinners and moments are delightful for me to experience as an only child, just as they were for Amerie. 
Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne

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

4.0

Oh, Lenny! I really felt like I got to know this character and understand her while also trying to figure out the mystery of her past and what she may or may not have done. The title makes it seem obvious but there was really a lot to explore and figure out. This was a compelling and memorable read.

Ratings
Quality of Writing 4/5
Pacing 4/5
Plot Development 4/5
Character Development 5/5
Overall Enjoyability 4/5
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

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emotional funny reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

5.0

The Hole We're in by Gabrielle Zevin

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

You Are Free: Stories by Danzy Senna, Danzy Senna

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli

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3.5

This was a highly anticipated follow up to Someday, Maybe.

The topic is very compelling and worth addressing- the impact of an influencer’s lifestyle on their children and the fact that young children can’t consent to having their lives documented online. In this case, there’s the added element of Anuri being Nigerian and her white stepmother being the influencer who gains attention for marrying a widowed Nigerian man and raising his daughter. 

While I sympathize with Anuri’s plights, some of her demands as an adult coming out of a life online, one in particular that I won’t spoil, didn’t seem reasonable. Being upset about being online against your will is certainly valid but some of the scenarios described sounded more like what you’d expect from with the child of a major celebrity or even a reality star versus an influencer. For example, pictures of a drunk Anuri leaving a nightclub end up in tabloids. Regardless of her stepmom’s follower count and paid sponsorships, I didn’t buy that paparazzi would care about her partying.

Nwabineli’s writing still shines and I liked the way Anuri’s friends supported her as well as the conclusion. But, unfortunately this didn’t hit the same bar for me as Someday, Maybe.

Ratings
Quality of Writing 4.5/5
Pacing 3/5
Plot Development 2/5
Character Development 4/5
Overall Enjoyability 3.5/5