sara_berlin's reviews
274 reviews

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

If the first book was an exploration of AI and what would happen, and the second book was a meditation on morality and what makes someone a good or bad person, then this last, grand finale linked it all together to paint a portrait of war and what it does to people, and that it is most definitely not black and white. This whole trilogy is about what desperate people in desperate circumstances do, whether that’s being stuck on a frozen rock or having to rely on a (previously) murderous AI to save the Universe. The one thing I was kind of craving more of was Leanne Frobisher’s story, I was a little confused about how she got the point that she did, but maybe that’s addressed in the novella. All in all, I think it achieved the aim of creating a wide spanning, multi-character and multi-media picture of what death and life in a technologically advanced world would look like, and it was scary, but it also made me feel hope for the future. 
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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’m white, so I realize that I am not the target audience, for once. However, I still really admire Akwaeke’s work and beautiful words, even if it’s from a distance, and I think it’s definitely unique that they are able to share these sensations and perceptions of self with the rest of us with such evocative words and writing.  Despite my race and (relative) lack of spirituality and connection to these senses, I still find something very deeply touching and understanding in their storytelling. All this to say, I felt very lucky to be able to have read this.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

Honestly, I went into this with a synopsis, the faint recollection of positive reviews, and one person who said “oh that was really good” and didn’t elaborate further. None of that prepared me for just how undone reading this would make me. I liked the explorations of a variety of difficult topics, and just so much was unexpected. Extremely well written too; I’ve had trouble getting fully into written stories lately, but this properly sucked me in and I completely blocked out the outside world while reading it. A strange escape, but an escape nonetheless. 
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

And yet again, I am faced with the conflict of reviewing a memoir, but rather than try to asses someone’s life story and how worthy it is of being told, which is absurd, I’ll instead focus on the writing. McCurdy writes in a plainly direct way that perfectly conveys her perspective at whatever time period the book is currently retelling, and yet doesn’t take away from any of the emotion or reflection that she felt at the time and feels now looking back on it. It’s very emotional and raw and purely human; there’s a reason this resonated with so many people and why she chose to write it. 
The Wicked King by Holly Black

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I think the only reason it wasn't as addictive as the first book is that I was just so stressed by it sometimes and felt so bad for Jude that I just had to put it down. I almost wish I didn't like her so much. Definitely lives up to the hype; this book just kept on breaking me. Holly Black always manages to do things that make sense but are still completely shocking and unexpected, and even if I do miraculously predict some small element, it's like two pages before it happens or was just one fleeting thought out of a dozen like it. 
One thing I really like about the romance is that it isn't linear. It's not "hates, gets closer to, tolerates, loves." The hatred/love balance from both of them goes up and down throughout the books.
Blitz by Daniel O'Malley

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

5.0

I liked it. The historical dual timeline was a new thing for this series, but I think it worked and made the story more interactive with the reader, as we’re trying to figure out what’s going on before the characters do. I flew through it, which is especially impressive considering it’s a long book. Daniel O’Malley is really good at getting the pacing just right; it’s not exhausting and numbing from too much action, but it also doesn’t drag at any points. He’s so underrated. All in all, I was very satisfied with this third installment, and I can’t wait to see if there will be more!
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

Candice Iloh definitely has a lot of potential and I’m excited to read any new books she releases. This felt very personal and real, almost like a memoir, but it’s fiction.  Ada was a very sympathetic, and brave, character and the multiple timelines gave me a better understanding of her and what and who makes her who she is. The descriptions of her feelings and her dancing were beautiful. I just found it very moving and inspiring. 
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It was really interesting to see this story told in the graphic novel format, and I feel like it gave the character of the Darkling more dimension as well. 
The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History by David F. Walker

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

It was very interesting and informational. I didn't know much about the Black Panthers before this, so I learned a lot. It was inspiring but also kind of saddening, I didn't realize how quickly they developed and then broke apart, and how huge of a role the media and the FBI played in it.