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lowkeymarie's reviews
557 reviews
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual content
How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don't by Lane Moore
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
4.25
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
As beautiful as it is devastating. Zauner took an unspeakably painful and tragic event and created a courageous and profound tribute to her mother. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the author.
This book deals very heavily with terminal illness and grief, so please tread carefully if that will be difficult for you to read about!
This book deals very heavily with terminal illness and grief, so please tread carefully if that will be difficult for you to read about!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism and Abortion
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
emotional
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
I was expecting this to be a YA romance after reading the previous book by this author (loosely connected to this book), Last Night at the Telegraph Club, but this is more of a queer coming-of-age story. That was fine by me, but just know that going in.
Malinda Lo's writing is a bit sparse and plain in a way that doesn't totally appeal to me, and I think that was more obvious in the contemporary(ish) setting of this book. But where I think this book really shines is the characters and relationships. The familial relationships are complicated and tense, with a real sense of history behind them. And the romance has that kind of painful intensity that hurts so good, ugh.
I was worried about how this one would wrap up, but I think it ends on a perfectly bittersweet note.
CW: death, grief, infidelity, slut shaming, abandonment
Malinda Lo's writing is a bit sparse and plain in a way that doesn't totally appeal to me, and I think that was more obvious in the contemporary(ish) setting of this book. But where I think this book really shines is the characters and relationships. The familial relationships are complicated and tense, with a real sense of history behind them. And the romance has that kind of painful intensity that hurts so good, ugh.
I was worried about how this one would wrap up, but I think it ends on a perfectly bittersweet note.
CW: death, grief, infidelity, slut shaming, abandonment
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
The Valentine's Hate by Sidney Halston
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the review copy!
Enemies to lovers romance: they were next-door neighbors as kids and hated each other all through middle and high school. When they run into each other as adults, they still push each others' buttons, but they might be able to help one another out... *Cue the fake-dating & forced-proximity tropes*
Unfortunately, this one really did not do it for me. Both of the main characters were irritating as hell. Brian especially came off like a smarmy dick most of the time (and not in an endearing but-he's-secretly-a-softie kind of way). The sex scenes were awkward, and just in general the way sex and bodies were talked about in this book was really crude and off-putting. I generally like when romance authors just say things directly instead of being flowery about it, but it came across like weird locker room talk sometimes, maybe because I didn't buy the attraction between the characters.
I also thought the timeline from them being frenemies to frenemies-with-benefits to falling-in-love was absurdly rushed (they fall in love over like 3 days). And of course, the whole thing blows up because of a dumb miscommunication that then becomes even bigger because no one talks to one another like adults. 🙄
Skip this one and watch 13 Going on 30 instead.
Enemies to lovers romance: they were next-door neighbors as kids and hated each other all through middle and high school. When they run into each other as adults, they still push each others' buttons, but they might be able to help one another out... *Cue the fake-dating & forced-proximity tropes*
Unfortunately, this one really did not do it for me. Both of the main characters were irritating as hell. Brian especially came off like a smarmy dick most of the time (and not in an endearing but-he's-secretly-a-softie kind of way). The sex scenes were awkward, and just in general the way sex and bodies were talked about in this book was really crude and off-putting. I generally like when romance authors just say things directly instead of being flowery about it, but it came across like weird locker room talk sometimes, maybe because I didn't buy the attraction between the characters.
I also thought the timeline from them being frenemies to frenemies-with-benefits to falling-in-love was absurdly rushed (they fall in love over like 3 days). And of course, the whole thing blows up because of a dumb miscommunication that then becomes even bigger because no one talks to one another like adults. 🙄
Skip this one and watch 13 Going on 30 instead.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
2.0
This was a difficult one to rate. The last 100 or so pages were genuinely really great...but the preceding 300+ pages were a slog. The main character was not poorly written, but it also wasn't an entertaining perspective to read from. Her PoV is broken up by interviews and we do get the PoV of another character eventually, but I think the book would have really benefitted from more perspectives than just Amaya's.
Something else that really irritated me is that allll throughout the damn book, a certain event that happened five years previously is constantly brought up, in a way that keeps it a secret from the reader. Which, if it had been brought up just a couple times, would have been intriguing. But it's referenced so frequently and so cryptically that it just became obnoxious.
Once we get to the third act, things finally start coming together and paying off in a big way, but it was just too little, too late for me.
Something else that really irritated me is that allll throughout the damn book, a certain event that happened five years previously is constantly brought up, in a way that keeps it a secret from the reader. Which, if it had been brought up just a couple times, would have been intriguing. But it's referenced so frequently and so cryptically that it just became obnoxious.
Once we get to the third act, things finally start coming together and paying off in a big way, but it was just too little, too late for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, and Colonisation
Minor: Homophobia
Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
2.5
I really wanted to like this one because the premise sounded fun and I love an ice queen. But honestly, it was just kind of dull throughout and the chemistry between the main characters wasn't that amazing. Meh.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Essential reading for bisexuals and anyone who wants to be a better bi+ ally!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual violence
Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
As beautiful as it was unsettling. The only reason it gets a 4 instead of a 5 is because I'm honestly not sure how I feel about the ending. But absolutely worth a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Suicide
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a surprisingly fun little read. Definitely going to read more from Wells.