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avasbookmark's reviews
238 reviews
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Slavery
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Religious bigotry
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Grief
Beach Read by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really wanted to like this book. The concept intrigued me (Wedding murder mystery on a remote Irish island? Yes please). But I found it to be slow, lacking in believable tension or storylines, lacking in the murder-mystery aspect until the very end, and full of unsatisfying plot holes :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book is very similar in tone and content to Ng’s sophomore novel “Little Fires Everywhere”. Like “Little Fires”, it explores family dynamics and themes of race and belonging. It takes place in small-town Ohio and revolves around a mystery, introduced on page one that unfolds and reveals itself as the book progresses.
I love the way Celeste Ng writes from the perspectives of different characters, always with such empathy and depth. As an author, she places you inside a family’s life, zooming in to individual family members, then back out, seamlessly, to reveal the impact of each character’s experiences and thoughts on the others.
What knocked it down from 5 stars for me, was the almost disappointing lack of a thrilling, mystery element. This was hinted at and touched upon at times, but never really explored. What happened to Lydia could have been delved into a little more. The queer storyline with Jack was also barely developed. Jack’s character was fairly one-dimensional and his queerness/relationship with Nath could have been treated with as much care and detail as the rest of the story.
I love the way Celeste Ng writes from the perspectives of different characters, always with such empathy and depth. As an author, she places you inside a family’s life, zooming in to individual family members, then back out, seamlessly, to reveal the impact of each character’s experiences and thoughts on the others.
What knocked it down from 5 stars for me, was the almost disappointing lack of a thrilling, mystery element. This was hinted at and touched upon at times, but never really explored. What happened to Lydia could have been delved into a little more. The queer storyline with Jack was also barely developed. Jack’s character was fairly one-dimensional and his queerness/relationship with Nath could have been treated with as much care and detail as the rest of the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Xenophobia, and Grief