emmafishhh's reviews
139 reviews

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was really good! The idea that this was a modern adaptation of Hamlet made me feel really smart whilst reading. The writing style was an effective literary decision, as it felt like it was being told by an eleven year old boy. Philip’s trust in his dad and his desire to murder Uncle Alan led to a plot twist that I didn’t see coming. It made me really think about the lies of the dead, and I all around really enjoyed this. Also, I love the cover art for some reason.
Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

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funny lighthearted fast-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? No

4.0

I found this pretty enjoyable! The forced proximity and enemies to lovers tropes were actually well executed, and I liked Liam and Mara’s relationship. The concept of her being an engineer and woman in STEM gave off very sophisticated and academic vibes. I also enjoyed how they were able to become friends before their relationship, and it was definitely none of the most enjoyable (plot wise) books I’ve read. The only thing I would change is Liam’s personality.
The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

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dark emotional medium-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

2.75

I’m conflicted about how I feel, I was able to finish this really fast, but I was not a fan of the Grumpy X Sunshine trope, as it was not well executed. I did not like Rowan or Zahra at all! The pneumonia plot like felt extremely unnecessary, and it added nothing to the book. The plot was mildly decent at best, and it was extremely cringey. There was not one subplot that was interesting, and I didn’t like very much about this book.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

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adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This wasn’t necessarily bad, but I don’t think I like slow paced historical books. It felt like too much time was spent developing her backstory, only for her character’s morals to be forgotten. The use of the n-word was completely unnecessary, and Kya was not mature enough to be in a relationship. I did like to court case, length of chapters and skipping through time, but the plot twist at the end was lazy and extremely predictable.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.25

I really liked this book! The relationship between the FSOTUS and the Prince of Wales added political tension and commentary to the novel, which I really enjoyed. Henry and Alex were a really cute pairing, and I actually enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers in this. The only let down was that there were so many characters, and it felt a little confusing at times. I wasn’t a huge fan of most is the characters, which made this less enjoyable. Overall though, this was a pretty good book!
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was absolutely incredible! I loved this so much, and it was so gripping. Victor and Eli’s rivalry was really well constructed, and the plot was fantastic! The time jumping through the book was really fun, and the suspense was so intense. Adding Sydney and Serena as a sibling rivalry was a really good choice, and Mitch’s character was good comedic relief. The writing technique was really good, and I loved this! One of my favourite reads of this year!
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I really enjoyed this! The dynamic of the book was really well composed, and I was a huge fan of the “academic rivals to lovers” trope. I loved that this showed that this showed the perspectives of LGBTQIA+ people in small town Alabama, and how they were able to overcome social barriers to achieve happiness. Chloe and Shara were a great pair, Smith and Rory were so sweet, and Georgia and Summer were such a power couple. Amazing book, and it had an excellent plot!
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

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adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I read this for English, and I have some complicated feelings about this book. The narrative, and interesting of a plot it started out with in the beginning, felt extremely flat by the end. The whole book, there were character foils or pieces of information given that ended up being irrelevant. After annotations, this took me almost 14 hours to read and analyse, and I can honestly say that it was an extremely boring piece of literature. The white saviour complex as everyone knows is troublesome, and it was very basically written. For some positives to this book, it gives a representation of rural Australia, which isn’t commonly explored in modern texts. It relates to the current events at the time period set (the Vietnam War), and expresses how people were not opposed to blatant displays of racism. The intertextual references to “To Kill and Mockingbird” led me to believe that Mad Jack Lionel would be foiled with Boo Radley’s character, but nothing ever came of this. There were so many opportunities to strengthen the message shown throughout the novel, and it felt a bit too rushed or long in unnecessary areas. The book has a strange ending, almost saying that it is perfectly acceptable to commit heinous crimes because it helps one person. Eliza especially, felt like a very strange character, and she did not have strong moral values. *SPOILERS* She watched her own sister die, and then did nothing about it, only to start dating the boy who dumped the body in the river. It wasn’t a terrible book, and sometimes felt enjoyable, but I think that there were some very major and obvious flaws that could have been altered to make it better.
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

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emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

I really enjoyed this novel! Although it was not as funny as the other two in the series, I really liked how this was written and the representation was done really well. The plot was great, and I liked that they were both working through their own issues. Quan and Anna were a really cute couple, and I enjoyed that he supported her, even after Julian’s actions. Overall, another great instalment in the Kiss Quotient series, and I enjoyed them all.
Twisted Love by Ana Huang

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

As far as dark romances go, I found this to be decent. I wasn’t a huge fan of Alex’s character, but his devotion to Ava in London was sweet. The plot twists of this book made it more interesting. I didn’t especially enjoy his possessiveness over her, but I guess it worked for them. The enemies to lovers trope was mildly well done, but I think that I just don’t like it as much as friends to lovers. Overall, not bad but I don’t think I will continue with the series.