abooknomad's reviews
408 reviews

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

3.0

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

It’s been a while since I’ve gulped down a book in less than a week and, for that, Hello Beautiful was what I was looking for and needed. It pierced through my reading slump and glued me to the page. This wasn’t exactly a surprise since this is my kind of book: character-driven, dramatic in its portrayal of (familial) relationships, and following a multigenerational timeline. From page 2, I knew that I would enjoy it and I did. 

The first half of the book was captivating. The Padanovo family and William seemed to jump off the page and the writing was as eloquent and addictive as the story required it to be. The second half, however, wasn't as fascinating. The writing and character traits started to get repetitive, and I ended the book feeling like the full potential of the story hadn’t been fully explored. Themes surrounding mental health, grudges, bitterness and family rifts were commented on in an interesting way, but their exploration and resolution felt rushed and brushed over, with more time spent on providing details that had already been mentioned before rather than adding more to the characters' layers. 

As I was reading the first half, I was sure this was going to be a 5-star, but the stagnation in the second half morphed this number into a 4 -4.25 star-ish. 

A good and addictive 4-star.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

3.5

Panenka by Rónán Hession

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

3.0

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

I was not expecting to get choked up while reading this book. Julia Whelan, I see your game! I loved Thank You for Listening, but My Oxford Year was especially emotional. It seems like Julia Whelan's writing style is a cross between women's fiction and contemporary romance and I love that! More, please!

I can't wait for the adaptation, the source material is very promising. 

The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

dark hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My first Coco Mellors and it did not disappoint. Cleopatra and Frankenstein has been on my tbr since it was released, but when I heard Blue Sisters was a story about sisterhood it immediately became a priority. If there’s something that I love having in my stories, it's the angst, complexity, love and pain of family relations. 

Overall, this was a well-executed portrait of a family torn apart by tragedy and trauma, and the different (and toxic) coping mechanisms that each member finds to deal with the ghosts of the past. The writing pulled me in, and the various points of view kept the story moving, enriched the narrative, and contributed to the overall themes. These sisters are so deeply flawed and at times despicable, but the truth is that it is often our family that sees our ugliest sides, and, in that, this book is brutally honest and raw. 

My only qualm is a personal one: the short flashbacks in the middle of chapters – at times, they took me out of the story, but I understand this was the better way to do it since I think whole flashback chapters would be even more jarring.

All in all, this was a great read and I’m even more excited now to read the author’s debut. 

The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous 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

4.25

The best volume in the series and a satisfying conclusion. This trilogy was enjoyable to read but I can't say it's a personal favourite. I'd recommend it to people who want to transition from young adult to adult fantasy: you'll get a fleshed-out world that's not overly complex, characters who are easy to love and low to medium stakes. 

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous 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

I was sceptical going into this sequel after the first book fell short for me last year, but I ended up enjoying The Kingdom of Copper more than I expected. 

The characters got more interesting and the expansion of the world and politics gave the story more depth. There were a few moments where things felt a little bit too meandering, but the storyline ended up tying up well in the end. 

The Best Girls by Min Jin Lee

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Somehow I doubted Min Jin Lee could traumatise me with a short story, she proved me wrong.