aislinghamill's reviews
251 reviews

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

emotional funny slow-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

3.0

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous emotional funny mysterious 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

3.0

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Mexican Gothic draws you in slowly. At the beginning of the novel we catch only a glimpse of Noemí’s Taboada’s glamorous lifestyle in Mexico City before she is drawn into the dark and dangerous world of the Doyles atop High Place. After arriving in El Triunfo she begins to unearth piece by piece the history of the family, and the deeper she digs the greater the sense of danger grows – and the more impossible it becomes, both for her and us, to look away.

The main strength of this book, in my opinion, is the atmosphere. The tension builds slowly, and plot-wise not a great deal actually happens, but Moreno-Garcia sets the perfect tone and evokes such clear, distinctive and often visceral sensory images that you can’t help but be gripped. You taste the sweet wine, you smell the damp and mould, you hear the old house creaking and groaning. This book will make your skin crawl in the best way possible.

Full review here: https://aislinghamill.wordpress.com/2021/08/27/mexican-gothic-by-silvia-moreno-garcia-a-review/

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

3.0

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

dark funny mysterious 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

3.0

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

funny hopeful 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

3.0

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

emotional reflective

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

5.0

Aristotle and Dante bowled me over. I flew through it in a day. While there isn’t a huge amount in terms of plot in this book, the writing is so beautiful you can’t help but be swept up by it. I found it hard to put the book down and was breathless by the time I finished.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe tells the story of two best friends in El Paso, Texas in the late 1980s. The boys meet at their local swimming pool when Dante offers to teach Ari how to swim. The lyrical novel follows their relationship over the course of about two years as they move from childhood into young adulthood and confront all the challenges that this brings.

Ari and Dante are in many ways opposites. Dante is outgoing and endlessly curious, where Ari is reserved and keeps mainly to himself. They bond over their unusual names and shared struggle to fit in among their peers, but their relationship becomes complicated when one of the boys develops stronger feelings for the other that aren’t reciprocated.

Aristotle and Dante deals with the struggle to distinguish your own identity from the demands of the world around you. As Ari repeats on several occasions, “The problem with my life was that it was someone else’s idea.”

Full review here: https://aislinghamill.wordpress.com/2021/08/06/aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe-by-benjamin-alire-saenz-a-review/

Rebel by Marie Lu

adventurous emotional 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

My most distinct memory of the Legend trilogy is of reading the final book under the table during a secondary school French lesson. As much as I was clearly very into the series at the time, however, I have little memory of the specific details of the plot now. Mainly I remember being frustrated by the ending – so of course I was excited when Rebel was announced.

Overall, I’d say I enjoyed Rebel. I appreciate that the story stands well on its own, in addition to tying up some loose ends from the original series. In fact, I’d say I enjoyed the fresh elements of this story more so than its references to the previous books.

A common problem for many dystopian trilogies of the Hunger Games era was how to conclude. There’s a great deal to overcome in the aftermath of the overthrow of an oppressive regime. It doesn’t exactly provide for an easy happy ending. That’s why getting to revisit one of these worlds ten years on is so interesting.

Full review at: https://aislinghamill.wordpress.com/2021/07/23/rebel-by-marie-lu-a-review/

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

slow-paced

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

3.0