allyjshand's reviews
208 reviews

I feel conflicted in rating this book. In the first half of the book (describing her teens and early twenties), Dolly comes across as a nightmare of a friend, selfish, reckless, and a complete liability. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun to read but I found her strongly unlikeable. (On a format note, I also didn’t vibe with the letters and recipes throughout.)

At the same time, I respect her honesty, and her flaws allowed her to grow through her therapy and as she got older. By the end, I really enjoyed who she grew to be and the reflections she gave on love and friendships.

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Power was darker and more graphic than I was expecting, although I can’t fault that as that’s more of a personal preference. I loved the premise and found the power subversions seen throughout the book clever although often challenging to read. I also enjoyed the format of the book with the different POVs, the emails, and images as they added something different. Having said that, I felt like the relationships between characters were sometimes weak, perhaps bringing them together sooner would have helped this. I also didn’t enjoy the ending as I didn’t really understand the characters’ motives. Overall a mixed bag and a three star read for me.

Content Warnings

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

2.25

I really wanted to love this book, but it just wasn’t what I was expecting. The idea of an obsessive situationship was really original and I enjoyed the dynamic between the protagonist, the man I want to be with, and the women I am obsessed with. Unfortunately I found the writing style and language quite difficult to engage with. The narrative seemed to swap between the character’s and the author’s voices, particularly during the social commentaries. These mini essays were very thoughtful but I felt they were often disconnected from the rest of the narrative. Overall, a mixed review but a miss for me.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Never enjoyed hating a character so much. Yellowface reflects on trolling, cancel culture, and racism everyday and within the publishing industry. Very cleverly written, although the plot sometimes felt like a caricature to demonstrate the issues discussed.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

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3.25

This felt like a satisfying end to the series to me. I found the concepts of the purity war and the experiment cities frustrating, as I couldn’t understand how a future government so advanced could completely overlook the problems and aftermath of gene editing. I was also surprised that Tris was willing to sacrifice her brother so easily, even considering his actions in the previous book. Having said that, I enjoyed how this final book flipped everything we learned in the previous books and I liked how Tris’ death contributed to change in the end. So swings and roundabouts.

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allyjshand's reviews 208 reviews

allyjshand's reviews
208 reviews