aimeepauls99's reviews
85 reviews

The Stranger by Albert Camus

dark mysterious tense 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

2.5

interesting and layered philosophical standpoints, especially in the last 15/20 pages there’s a lot to dissect. wasn’t as impactful as i thought it would be for me given the book’s classic literature reputation, too many random characters too. good length, easy to read. just didn’t hit like it was supposed to 

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

2.75

it was fine. the writing was a bit clunky sometimes, but this is hayley kiyoko’s first step into fiction writing as a musician so that’s sort of to be expected. the main characters felt a tad surface-level and hollow for most of the book even though it does deal (really well) with some major events and turmoils for each of them. i think there were also a few too many side characters that don’t really do anything for the main overarching plot/conflict, which also felt too rushed in the resolution. i’m also a little older than the book’s target demographic, so it felt kinda juvenile to me, but for a younger tween/teen reader i can see how this would be life-changing like Hayley Kiyoko’s music video was for me back then.  

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

loved it. very easy to read classic, still with so much metaphorically going on. themes of class consciousness, consumption, food, feminism, occult symbolism, youth and crime, true crime/tragedy and spectacle, entitlement and access to resources and so much more. not quite 5 stars because i would’ve liked more on the sisters exploring their complicated grief (?) for their family, merricat’s motivations to commit her crime from her perspective and her time in the orphanage missing out on her sisters trial, and why her sister even took the public blame for all that (maybe because she was purposefully spared?) but i also like that it’s up for interpretation. kind of goes with Shirley Jackson’s whole thing, the readers really aren’t entitled to that from the sisters. we’re shirley jackson stans now. 

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

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

3.5

Beautiful World, Where Are You: A Novel by Sally Rooney

reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

intricate character studies are sally rooney’s specialty. not a fan of the ending, should have ended it on chapter 28. sometimes the novel tries too hard to be a big biting cultural commentary and fails, sometimes sally rooney argues extremely poingnant and relevant criticisms and philosophies on modern literature, religion, class and millennial life. graceful and worthwhile depiction of a friendship between women who value each other so deeply as current contemporaries and intellectual equals and more “frivolous” college bff’s (both sides of their relationship are treated as equally important which was refreshing). made me more of a sally rooney appreciator after not loving normal people. 

Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monsters by Nikita Gill

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

3.0

like any poetry collection, it has some stronger works than others. some follow a fictionalized/adapted “modern day” view of gods after their stories and reigns end which was interesting, but these would’ve worked better in a more structured literary fiction, or if this was more of a verse novel than a poetry collection. lacked cohesive story elements sometimes that could’ve made these work a bit better in my opinion. refreshing perspective and compelling adaptations of greek myths otherwise. 

Curb Angels by Christopher Ducharme

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

4.0

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

didn’t have to be as long as it was, quite a bit of filler content for no reason. still a great read though, philosophical and hopeful for humanity’s sake. 

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective tense fast-paced

3.0