akapaldo's reviews
10 reviews

Come Closer by Sara Gran

dark 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse

Recursion by Blake Crouch

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, War, and Child death

Minor: Suicide

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

challenging dark 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cursing, and Police brutality

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Lesbophobia

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.75

A lighthearted take on fantasy with funny twists, Dreadful is a fun and quick read. A dark wizard wakes up in a room on fire, but has no idea who he is. As he goes about exploring his past he finds he isn’t a fan of the old him and plans to change all of that and be a better person. Just one little problem, he has a princess as a prisoner and other dark wizards are coming soon to use her as a sacrifice in a ritual.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Death

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Child death

Minor: Excrement

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

adventurous dark 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? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Violence

Moderate: War, Death of parent, and Child death

Minor: Sexual assault and Child abuse

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Minor: Rape

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death