aaliyahdreads's reviews
32 reviews

Down the Drain by Julia Fox

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N' Roll by Priscilla Presley

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

4.25

Milk Fed by Melissa Broder

dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is a masterpiece. It's real, grounded, and hilarious at times. Melissa Broder has done something truly rare with with book and I highly recommended reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

dark funny sad 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? Yes

5.0

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

dark mysterious sad tense 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

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This was a book I went into with an intense nervousness due to my own struggles with eating disorders and my very recent recovery. I will flag that this book does list numbers ie. Weight, calories and eating disorder mannerisms and honestly it did trigger me and made some portions difficult to read. But I am glad I read it, never have I felt so seen so understood. Jeanette exposed eating disorder habits that i resonated with even with those that quite honestly make me embarrassed to this day because I never thought other people had ever resorted to them before. The struggles with a mother who endorsed her eating disorder and fixated on her body and it’s size also resonated with me. I appreciate her vulnerability with the anger and betrayal she so rightfully felt. It was cathartic to read this book and anything under a 5 would do a disservice. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Eating disorder

My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This book is simply the story of a married police officer who is in love with another gay man in the 50’s. The peaks into their love is beautiful and the turbulence within the novel feels rooted in the reality of being LGBTQ+ during  that time. While I had sympathy for Marion she is also infuriating at other times for reasons that will become clearer near the ending of the book. I do wish the story focused more on Patrick and Tom and less on Marion. I understood why her perspective is important but it should  not have taken up so much of the story. But on the whole the story does move at a very slow pace but is beautifully written and is a good read for those who prefer books that focus on characters rather than plot (aka me). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.

This book is truly unreadable, the main character is an insufferable pick me girl who’s own self hatred leads her to judge everyone around her harshly. Truly I can not read this for my own sanity.