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angieoverbooked's reviews
502 reviews
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
challenging
emotional
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot
informative
medium-paced
4.5
One Of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
This was a very ambitious novel. It’s described as Stepford Wives meets Get Out. Those elements are there so, while unsettled, I was immensely curious about how this would go and what the resolution would be. But ultimately, it fell short for me.
There is not a social justice or systemic racism topic unexplored. But it was almost too much to cram into a 250 page book and it may have been at the expense of not fleshing out the MC and her story beyond her dedication to activism. And there’s no satisfying explanation for how an educated, wealthy Black couple so invested in these issues and giving back to their community end up in this story.
Making a Scene by Constance Wu
reflective
5.0
This is the best celebrity book I’ve read in a while. A truly solid essay collection from start to finish. Wu’s writing is honest, vulnerable and smart. She says that she actually wanted to become a writer before she aspired to be an actress and it shows.
Also, the title seems really obvious but it’s cleverly threaded throughout the book in different ways -there’s what you would expect about literal scenes in performances, making scenes in her personal life and times when she was silent or ignored her instinct because she didn’t want to “make a scene.”
Also, the title seems really obvious but it’s cleverly threaded throughout the book in different ways -there’s what you would expect about literal scenes in performances, making scenes in her personal life and times when she was silent or ignored her instinct because she didn’t want to “make a scene.”