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sara_berlin's reviews
274 reviews
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.5
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.5
Economix: How and Why Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work), in Words and Pictures by Joel Bakan, Dan E. Burr, David Bach, Michael Goodwin
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It’s impossible not to feel for these characters, even if you can’t relate at all. TJR has a remarkable ability to make you walk in the shoes of people who are nothing like you, and that’s really on display in this book, even more than Evelyn Hugo. Each character (except maybe Camilla but that makes sense in context) is a flawed, complex, and, most importantly, real-seeming person. By the end of the book it was hard to believe that the Six weren’t a real band and that these weren’t real interviews conducted with them.
Side note: highly, highly recommend listening to the audiobook. It can be a little hard to keep up with what’s going on but it’s worth it to hear the story told like it’s recordings of real celebrities.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Such a witty yet emotional commentary on humans, morality, and much more. It was so fun to read and the dry humor is hilarious.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
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Content Warnings
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
I found this book to have a less avant-garde style than some of Akwaeke Emezi's other books, but still with their unique flair, which I always love. It also fit into my accidental reading trend of gravitating toward perspectives that I don't often hear, which definitely applies to mainstream American literature and queer Nigerians. For both of those reasons, I really enjoyed the story, despite it's clear tragedy. The Death of Vivek Oji deserves to become a classic.
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Transphobia, and Death of parent
Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression by Robin D.G. Kelley
I’ll get around to it eventually, but right now I have library books to read.
Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
5.0
Tori 🥺 also Charlie and Nick overcoming conflict??? We love to see it