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laurenleigh's reviews
636 reviews
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
challenging
dark
inspiring
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
My one and only OwlCrate edition! It is truly beautiful, if not expensive. This is a weird book, but in a good way. I appreciate when something is unlike anything else I’ve ever read, even if I don’t quite get it. The second half of the plot was rather hard to follow, but I didn’t really care, since the overall message was received. Mortality is a bitch, but immorality dulls all the edges of life. Pain and joy go hand in hand, necessarily. Maybe if this had been my treadmill book and not my bedtime book, the plot would have made more sense to me lol.
This Book Is Gay (Revised and Updated) by Juno Dawson
informative
fast-paced
3.5
This was touted as the LGBTQIA+ instruction manual, and then unsurprisingly banned a lot. I’ve just learned there is an updated edition that was published in 2018, and I wish I had read that. The original 2014 edition I read was already rather dated, especially when it came to the transgender experience and the language surrounding that. I can see how this could be helpful to younger generations who need a better source other than random internet searches, but I’d suggest the updated copy.
The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am so sad this is the last book in this series! It has been a favorite of mine this year. Jaren 4EVER! I appreciate that everything was wrapped up pretty well, but the pacing confused me a bit. This book presents a whole new side quest that takes up like 80% of the book. And then the last 100 pages are a wild ride where everything happens at once. I wish the series could have just been four books. I also don’t love the very end, how they handled one character’s comeuppance. I would have liked a bit more nuance there. But these are relatively minor things, and you should totally check out this series!
The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro, Daniel Kraus
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a brilliant listening experience! I actually haven’t seen the movie, but I heard this novelization and the script were written side by side, with del Toro and Kraus trading notes. The collaboration clearly worked well for both! I love switching up the monster movie genre where the “monster” is who we root for, and those who captured the creature are much more monstrous. I found the portrayal of Strickland to be amazingly nuanced, which is my favorite kind of villain. The narration in particular was incredible. So many accents done so well, and the dreamy tone fit perfectly. There’s a number of POV’s, but I could tell where we were instantly with just a few words from the excellent narrator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racism
#veryfat #verybrave: The Fat Girl's Guide to Being #brave and Not a Dejected, Melancholy, Down-In-The-Dumps Weeping Fat Girl in a Bikini by Nicole Byer
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
FYI, 50% of this book is just pictures of Byer in bikinis. I was maybe expecting more writing, but I’m here for the radical self love! The writing she did include was a breath of fresh air. I’m doing a lot of work these days on body acceptance, and while more “serious” texts are great, there is something refreshing about the conversational tone here. And Byer is of course hilarious. I appreciate the levity. It helps make a really intense topic seem a bit lighter and more approachable.
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.5
I don’t think the execution here was quite enough for me. I found myself dragging through this at times, and I struggled to keep everything straight. Maybe the listening experience wasn’t as good as reading the print would have been. There’s only a tiny drop of magical in this realism, which leaves me wanting more. And the few magical elements were never quite explained well enough for me? I think the premise was cool, and I liked some of the historical elements, but it never quite came together for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Violence, and Murder
What to Expect Before You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff
informative
medium-paced
4.0
A bit outdated feeling at times and very heteronormative, but still has some good information I think.
Shadowland by Meg Cabot
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A reread of a book I read many moons ago! Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series was my JAM as a kid, and I read pretty much everything else she wrote. Though I never quite got into this series back then. I’m down for a little paranormal romance, but something about this just doesn’t quite grab me like her other works. I think the main character is a little bland compared to her protagonists in her other books? But I’m being really picky. I’d still recommend this to tweens and YA readers, it actually aged okay! Though CW for suicide, as that’s how one ghost ended up a ghost.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I did not realize how long Christie’s career was! This was published in 1969! Unfortunately it seems I like her earlier work a lot better. There was a lot of moaning and groaning from these characters about how “things aren’t like they used to be.” Eye roll. I can’t say much without spoilers, but the premise of the mystery was pretty interesting, though the twisty ending seemed so out of left field? There wasn’t as much foreshadowing (that I picked up on anyway), so I felt a bit confused at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Murder
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Very cool premise about books containing magic! And the characters were delightful. I loved the mirror magic conceit too. I would likely be interested to read more in the world if there’s a sequel, but I do have some major hang ups around blood that made the reading experience challenging at times. Honestly I can’t write more about it because it makes me feel sick, but I’m a baby about this. If you don’t feel squeamish and you like magic/fantasy/books about books, you’ll love this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Death of parent