amandagracereads's reviews
605 reviews

Roaming by Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

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challenging hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-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

5.0

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Pros: Addictive writing style, great world building, and spicy romance. 
Cons: Stilted dialogue, underdeveloped characters, unearned emotional punches, and the occasional cringeworthy word choice. 

If you are a fan of Maas, this is basically the same story line as all her books. Except dragons. 

I will probably not read the rest of this series, but I will gladly put on  the inevitable prestige television adaptation in the background while I fold laundry and cook dinner. 
Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

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funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
I was really just looking for a romance book, but wow did this book zag on me! 

A dude pulls out a gun and then falls off a cliff to his presumed death!???


I thought it was just going to be a fun treasure hunt with a rekindled romance, but it went off the rails. 
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

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

4.0

Pros: I love the author’s voice and the action in the book. It’s very vivid and cinematic. I wouldn’t say it scared me, but it was very thrilling and had great tension. The family drama of it was excellent and well written. 
Cons: The pace was uneven for me. At halfway, I would have given it a 5, but then it turned. It felt like the story should have been coming to a conclusion and then everything restarted. At 75% I would have given it a 3 because the story was dragging and I wasn’t sure where it was going. By the end, it had me again back up to a solid 4 because the book connected a lot of lose plot threads. 
Aside: I really want Waffle House now.