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sarahmae531's reviews
123 reviews
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Nothing says I love my best friend like sleeping with her fiancé a week after she dies of cancer.
I literally have nothing else to say on the matter. đź’€
I literally have nothing else to say on the matter. đź’€
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Miscarriage
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
Loved this book!! Needed a good romance and this was just the one.
Such a sweet story, loved the slow burn of it taking place over a year.
Such a sweet story, loved the slow burn of it taking place over a year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death and Car accident
Unretouchable by Sofia Szamosi
hopeful
reflective
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
3.0
A quick read, enjoyed the art style, nice and important message.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Sexism
Dear Miss Metropolitan by Carolyn Ferrell
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I thought the storytelling style of this book was interesting. It jumped around a lot, which was a little difficult listening as an audio book.
Obviously it’s a very heartbreaking story, but I found it hard to connect with the characters, which I feel terrible saying. But I feel like we didn’t learn about the girls individually enough for me to grow to love them, a lot of the focus was on the people around them and just the fact that they are the Victim Girls.
Obviously it’s a very heartbreaking story, but I found it hard to connect with the characters, which I feel terrible saying. But I feel like we didn’t learn about the girls individually enough for me to grow to love them, a lot of the focus was on the people around them and just the fact that they are the Victim Girls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Homophobia
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.75
Another great book by Emily Henry!! Had so many moments and plot points that caused my heart to ache. Loved Harriet and Wyn’s relationship and their chosen family. Reminds me so much of my friends’ annual cabin trips.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy
Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
Heard of this book on Booktube and the way it was described sounded really beautiful and interesting. It unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations.
I don’t think I’m a big enough fan of Mary Oliver, or classic poets in general, for this to be my type of book, so take this with a grain of salt.
I don’t think I’m a big enough fan of Mary Oliver, or classic poets in general, for this to be my type of book, so take this with a grain of salt.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Was scrolling through my library’s “available now” audiobooks and decided to give it a shot.
I thought it was good overall. Like most self help-y books, I really connected with some parts, while others fell flat reading it as an average person with an average day job and salary (I still found those parts interesting though).
The book did feel a little pieced together. I was a little confused on the view point that May was trying to capture, as it went back and forth between living through our own personal winters (what she calls hard periods in our lives), and the literal season of winter. I know there is a bigger analogy at play here, but I felt that the two “views” of wintering in the book weren’t totally connected.
I thought it was good overall. Like most self help-y books, I really connected with some parts, while others fell flat reading it as an average person with an average day job and salary (I still found those parts interesting though).
The book did feel a little pieced together. I was a little confused on the view point that May was trying to capture, as it went back and forth between living through our own personal winters (what she calls hard periods in our lives), and the literal season of winter. I know there is a bigger analogy at play here, but I felt that the two “views” of wintering in the book weren’t totally connected.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I needed a good thriller and this definitely satisfied that! I really enjoyed the twist of the book, right when I was rolling my eyes thinking I figured out the ending, it got switched on me, which kept me on my toes.
Definitely lots of content warnings for this book, so that’s something to be aware of.
Definitely lots of content warnings for this book, so that’s something to be aware of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal death
Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
emotional
reflective
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? No
5.0
I am usually not a character-based reader, but Emma Straub may have converted me.
I absolutely adored this book. Reading it in my mid-twenties was the perfect time to read this, nestled between the teenagers and their parents, understanding and relating to parts of both of their stories. I loved seeing the characters ebb and flow, in both their selves and their relationships with each other.
I absolutely adored this book. Reading it in my mid-twenties was the perfect time to read this, nestled between the teenagers and their parents, understanding and relating to parts of both of their stories. I loved seeing the characters ebb and flow, in both their selves and their relationships with each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.75
A really sweet book! Loved seeing Linus’ relationships with each of the characters grow and evolve.
A few reasons it didn’t get 5 stars:
-I found Linus kind of insufferable at times, he got on my nerves a lot
-The romance in this book just didn’t make sense to me. I feel like a slow burn was attempted, but wasn’t well executed.
-The book read a little too YA for my liking
-This didn’t play into my rating but Arthur falling for both the past case worker and now for Linus made me go ???
A few reasons it didn’t get 5 stars:
-I found Linus kind of insufferable at times, he got on my nerves a lot
-The romance in this book just didn’t make sense to me. I feel like a slow burn was attempted, but wasn’t well executed.
-The book read a little too YA for my liking
-This didn’t play into my rating but