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laurenleigh's reviews
624 reviews
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
This was bizarrely entertaining. McConaughey is such a weird, memorable individual. Lots of crazy stories and funny moments. This memoir absolutely wants to be read in audio format; his narration with all its quirks is a vital part of his storytelling. I appreciated his take on being a romcom actor for so many years. There’s nothing wrong with levity and bringing people a joyful break from reality! I did not appreciate the story where his brother pretends to be disabled to get their dog in a fancy resort.
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After three Caraval books, I finally get to read this series! I think I already like this better. I also think Garber’s wonderful descriptive imagery works better for me in print rather than audio, so I can let things sink in a bit more as she paints her scenes. She’s very imaginative, and it’s fun to live her in fairy tale worlds. The FMC is slightly annoying but also I relate to her a lot lol. Her unyielding hope is sweet. Not sure why Garber always has to have this sister dynamic though.
The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
I picked this out literally just because Freddy Carter was a narrator, and that turned out to be my favorite part of the experience. I’m having trouble with attention and comprehension in audiobooks lately, but that’s not the book’s fault. I appreciate that we had some true enemies to lovers with high stakes. I could have used more world building. It felt very Six of Crows coded (no surprise there), which is a very large shadow to be in. Kind of just makes me want to reread SoC!
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Eh this was fine, just not much to write home about. I’ll probably still continue with the series because I’ve heard great things about further Shadowhunter books, but I wasn’t especially captivated by this book. I do NOT understand why we’re continuing with a certain romance storyline (iykyk). But there were still interesting parts, like the fairy court. I still think it’s worth getting through some 3 star reads to set the stage for further books.
Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This series is all just an automatic 5 stars for me. I will never tire of Nick and Charlie’s love! It’s so wonderful to watch their character growth over time and see what kind of men they’re growing up to be. Being a part of their journey is healing to my inner teenage self! I watched season 3 of the show right after reading this, and it’s amazing how closely they have stayed to the text. Both the books and the show are absolutely brilliant, and any hype you’re hearing is 100% deserved.
The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first book in this series really benefitted from a structured plot, and this installment had the same. Our characters here are on an Inferno-like journey into the underworld, and separating the story into the different levels kept the pace moving. There was a good amount of descriptive imagery of the underworld, but I always struggled to actually picture it, unfortunately. The character arc is rather predictable, but I don’t mind so much since I find Miche relatable. I’ll probably continue when the next book comes out; I’m hoping for more politics in this world!
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m honestly surprised how much I liked this romcom! It was a case where I’m thinking about the characters outside of reading, which is always a good sign. Grace’s characters are really where the book shines. I feel very connected to them. So much so that I’ll likely pick up the other books in the series. Where this book fell flatter was in the pacing and story structure. The plot meandered at times and would have truly benefited from some editing down. And plenty of plot points just didn’t really make sense at all or weren’t believable.
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
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? It's complicated
4.0
Overall, this was a good wrap up to the Shepherd King duology. Again, I love this magic system, and Gillig has created some great multi-dimensional characters. Super atmospheric read. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the first book though. There was a new romance plot that felt a bit forced. These characters were in the first book, but I didn’t see any hint of a romance at all? I would have been fine with it if there had been at least a breadcrumb of attraction in the first book.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
After failing with Piranesi, I thought this would be an easier book to digest. Only to find myself in the middle of time travel story that I could NOT make sense of. There were all these rules the characters kept mentioning, but yikes I was so lost. I gave up on trying to make sense of that, but I still just didn’t really care about any of these characters other than the young daughter (surprise surprise). Again, I don’t think this was a bad book, but it wasn’t for me at this time.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I’m afraid this was good book/bad timing syndrome. I’ve heard wonderful things for years and finally got around to it, but probably not at the right moment. I heard the plot was confusing at first but then all came together at the end in a brilliant way, but...I was confused the whole way through. It feels like this went way over my head. Chalking it up to baby brain. It didn’t feel like bad writing and the audiobook narration was great, I just couldn’t get into it at all during this postpartum phase.