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bookhoarder93's reviews
21 reviews
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I found this book to be a really beautiful read. It is a great story about love of all types; friends, family, romantic. Also a great coming of age story. I also really liked that it didn’t follow some of the tropes and stereotypes some stories with gay characters do. The writer was able to tackle complex topics and ideas and articulate them with simplicity. My biggest criticisms are the end (last 30th he pages) felt very rushed and, because of that rush, the big moment for Ari at the end didn’t feel as authentic and emotional as I think it could/should have been.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Cursing and Outing
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Such a deep, honest, and brave telling of her own story. It feels weird to me to review someone’s trauma and personal experience. So I’ll just say this: a well told read that I highly recommend. Especially to those who may struggle or have struggled with an abusive parent, eating disorders, and addiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
John Green pens a number of short essays on topics ranging from the mundane to the complex, the lighthearted to the serious. He writes beautifully; the chapter on Auld Lang Syne made me cry. It’s a very digestible read, and everyone can find a chapter they love.
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
As with any Sally Rooney book, the main characters feel real and the stories surrounding them seem plausible. I enjoyed the ever changing dynamics and relationships between each of the main characters. The ending felt complete while not being final. It masterfully captures the complicated nature of relationships, speaks to love and how love manifests, and what contemporary dating can be like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Eating disorder, Infertility, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
This is really my first dive into the horror genre in books, and I very much enjoyed it! There were moments I had to pause reading because I had to steel myself for what I could tell was something spooky. I thought the beginning was slow, but once I got about halfway in the pace picked up. There were story aspects I saw coming, but other details that surprised me.
The Maid by Nita Prose
lighthearted
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
3.25
This book was a quick, easy read. I enjoyed the character, thought the descriptions the author provided were vivid, and there were turns that I didn’t see coming. I also think the author did a great job with putting us in the shoes and mind of a character who is on the spectrum. I thought the ending of the book felt a little thrown together. The ending was a shock, but not a shock that could have been reasonably deduced. I also think some of the details about Molly, Gran, The Blacks, and Mr. Preston were not given the attention I would have liked to see, and they were sort of dropped and then left. It also drove me crazy that the details made it difficult to place where this story happened. Overall, I think it’s a great read for a book club; we had a lot of discussion. But I wasn’t overly impressed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book has a new, interesting take on the space between life and death. It explores themes in a meaningful way, while also crafting a beautiful, semi-fantastical story. I also found it had great timing. Just at the moment where the thought it’s getting a little repetitive even tugged at my mind, it brought something exciting or thought-provoking to the forefront. I also very much enjoyed the chapter lengths. It made for easily picking it up and putting it down without stopping in the middle of everything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Overall, I found the book to be a quick, easy read that was reflective and introspective. As is typical of Sally Rooney characters, they were interesting and perfect vessels to communicate ideas, struggles, views, etc. And their relationship to one another was intriguing, albeit upsetting at times. The one thing I really appreciate about her characters are how real they feel. How they could be someone in your life. I found the style a little difficult. The switching between present experiences and emails written by two different people was challenging for me. I did find myself sort of wondering where the book was going; it got a little repetitive and predictable at times. Not my favorite book of Rooney’s, but still a solid read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was an extremely easy read and I was immediately sucked in. The main character was interesting, likable, and unique, and the secondary characters were all brought the pages alive in their own ways. While I did very much enjoy the book, it isn’t my favorite of Schwab’s. Even though it was easy and enjoyable to read, there were aspects that were a bit predictable. Certain parts felt unnecessarily drawn out. I did love the focus on defining ‘home’ and ‘family’.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Grief, and Death of parent