brinoverbooked's reviews
376 reviews

The Hole by Hye-young Pyun

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dark sad tense slow-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

3.0

very disturbing and well written, but the ending felt unfinished and abruptly cut off

Content Warnings

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

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emotional hopeful medium-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

5.0

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Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

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sad tense slow-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

1.5

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In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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The Project by Courtney Summers

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sad tense slow-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

2.5

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

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lighthearted reflective sad medium-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

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

the murder mystery part of the plot felt unnecessary, and didn't add much to an already powerful story. definitely an important read for young girls

Content Warnings

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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dark reflective tense slow-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

would have loved more detailed world building, as well as a more satisfying ending

Content Warnings

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this book is hard to rate.

the representation of sexual assault survivors and the trauma they must endure during a rape trial are incredibly important and difficult topics, which i think were handled very well in this novel, especially in a genre where sexual assault is usually (unfortunately) used as a cheap plot twist. the podcast aspect was also very fun, especially on audiobook.

on the other hand, we didn't really get the chance to become attached to the characters. we were directly dropped into a court case (which don't get me wrong, i loved) and didn't really get the chance to see the characters as humans, instead of just witnesses and defendants. the only character i felt was even vaguely fleshed out was hannah.

the ending was also predictable, though that does tend to happen in mysteries. if there's only five people who could possibly be the bad guy, you're bound to guess correctly. the social commentary was definitely more valuable to me than the actual mystery itself.

Content Warnings