Scan barcode
alexandras_reads's reviews
100 reviews
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Girl, Forgotten - Karin Slaughter
-
Girl, forgotten follows Andrea into her first assignment after graduating as a federal Marshall. While originally assigned to protect a judge who was receiving death threats, Andrea actually begins investigating the murder of the judges daughter, a murder that occurred 40 years ago
-
This was such a hypnotizing read! There were so many plot twists that I didn’t expect. I really liked that the chapters would change from Andreas perspective to Emily’s perspective - it was a great way to keep attention and make the stories intertwine.
-
This book does contain some potentially triggering topics, so make sure to look into them. If you enjoy thrillers, crime, and adventure, def pick this up!
-
Girl, forgotten follows Andrea into her first assignment after graduating as a federal Marshall. While originally assigned to protect a judge who was receiving death threats, Andrea actually begins investigating the murder of the judges daughter, a murder that occurred 40 years ago
-
This was such a hypnotizing read! There were so many plot twists that I didn’t expect. I really liked that the chapters would change from Andreas perspective to Emily’s perspective - it was a great way to keep attention and make the stories intertwine.
-
This book does contain some potentially triggering topics, so make sure to look into them. If you enjoy thrillers, crime, and adventure, def pick this up!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A ballad of songbirds and snakes - Suzanne Collins
-
Omfg this book was SO good. I didn’t expect much since my dystopian days are behind me, but collins’s writing style, world building and characterization was just so good!
-
A ballad of songbirds and snakes follows President snow as a child. We learn about what factors drove him to be such an evil conniving president in the hunger games trilogy. Without spoiling it, the way he goes from so good to just sooo bad is addictive. Collins did an amazing job with this.
-
Omfg this book was SO good. I didn’t expect much since my dystopian days are behind me, but collins’s writing style, world building and characterization was just so good!
-
A ballad of songbirds and snakes follows President snow as a child. We learn about what factors drove him to be such an evil conniving president in the hunger games trilogy. Without spoiling it, the way he goes from so good to just sooo bad is addictive. Collins did an amazing job with this.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
-
Project Hail Mary is a multi-nation project developed to save planet earth. With the sun slowly dimming due to astrophage, teacher Ryland Grace is forced to save his life and his planet by going into space. However, he wakes up unsure of how and why he is in the Hail Mary. We spend the book learning about how he ended up in space, if he can save the world, and we meet an unlikely friend named rocky :).
-
I loved this book! Sci-fi is my least read genre because I’m often intimidated by how scientific a lot of the books read. However, Weir does an incredible job of making the book readable and digestible while still including a bunch of scientific terminology and ideas into the plot. I found myself laughing a lot, which was totally unexpected.
-
If you want to give sci fi a chance or you just want a cool, fun read, I would really recommend picking up Project Hail Mary.
-
Project Hail Mary is a multi-nation project developed to save planet earth. With the sun slowly dimming due to astrophage, teacher Ryland Grace is forced to save his life and his planet by going into space. However, he wakes up unsure of how and why he is in the Hail Mary. We spend the book learning about how he ended up in space, if he can save the world, and we meet an unlikely friend named rocky :).
-
I loved this book! Sci-fi is my least read genre because I’m often intimidated by how scientific a lot of the books read. However, Weir does an incredible job of making the book readable and digestible while still including a bunch of scientific terminology and ideas into the plot. I found myself laughing a lot, which was totally unexpected.
-
If you want to give sci fi a chance or you just want a cool, fun read, I would really recommend picking up Project Hail Mary.
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.75
One True Loves - Taylor Jenkins Reid
-
This story follows the alleged loss of Emma's true love, Jesse. With Emma believing that her life was over completely, she moves back home to start her life, a life that she had previously vowed she would never live. Emma was able to restart in the years since Jesse had 'died'. She changed her hair, took over Blair Books, and fell in love with her old coworker, Sam. But one night, Emma receives a call from Jesse, changing her renewed life once again.
-
Oh my god I am crushed. I listened to this audio book in one day, reminding me how I read "Daisy Jones" in a single day as well. I loved this book so much. I felt Emma's pain, and Reid's discussion about grief and loss of a love hurt so much. It is comforting to read about a character who fully appreciates growth. Emma learns to accept that she has changed since Jesse's disappearance.
-
I really loved listening to this and I cried a lot. If you like contemporary romances, stories about having to choose between two men who are in love with you, or just need to get out of a reading slump, you should def pick this one up.
-
This story follows the alleged loss of Emma's true love, Jesse. With Emma believing that her life was over completely, she moves back home to start her life, a life that she had previously vowed she would never live. Emma was able to restart in the years since Jesse had 'died'. She changed her hair, took over Blair Books, and fell in love with her old coworker, Sam. But one night, Emma receives a call from Jesse, changing her renewed life once again.
-
Oh my god I am crushed. I listened to this audio book in one day, reminding me how I read "Daisy Jones" in a single day as well. I loved this book so much. I felt Emma's pain, and Reid's discussion about grief and loss of a love hurt so much. It is comforting to read about a character who fully appreciates growth. Emma learns to accept that she has changed since Jesse's disappearance.
-
I really loved listening to this and I cried a lot. If you like contemporary romances, stories about having to choose between two men who are in love with you, or just need to get out of a reading slump, you should def pick this one up.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe
adventurous
challenging
informative
fast-paced
5.0
Rogues - Patrick Radden Keefe
-
Keefe divulges into several different stories regarding crimes and crooks throughout the world. Each chapter discusses a new issue, which range from offshore banking scandal in Europe to a mass shooting in Alabama. Keefe’s ability to conduct research truly shines in this book, as each chapter is so detailed that it reads like it’s own book.
-
As always, i loved this book by Keefe. Id recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about crime through the world!
-
Keefe divulges into several different stories regarding crimes and crooks throughout the world. Each chapter discusses a new issue, which range from offshore banking scandal in Europe to a mass shooting in Alabama. Keefe’s ability to conduct research truly shines in this book, as each chapter is so detailed that it reads like it’s own book.
-
As always, i loved this book by Keefe. Id recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about crime through the world!
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
All adults here - Emma Straub
-
All adults here follows Astrid, a 59 year old mother of 3 who reflects on all of her possible mistakes made while her children were growing up. After watching the untimely death of a “friend”, Astrid begins to truly appreciate her life in the moment, and aims to make up for any mistakes made in the past.
-
At the same time, we follow the experiences of the three children, Nicki, Porter, and Elliot, along with the granddaughter Cecilia and her new friend, August. This book, which is a coming-of-age for all characters involved, invokes feelings of sadness, reflection, happiness, and love.
-
I loved this book and ate it up. Something about a character driven book is so appealing to me. I love feeling like I know the characters. Straub does a fantastic job fleshing out each of their personalities and doesn’t shy away from presenting their flaws. If you like contemporary fiction + character-driven novels, this is for you.
-
All adults here follows Astrid, a 59 year old mother of 3 who reflects on all of her possible mistakes made while her children were growing up. After watching the untimely death of a “friend”, Astrid begins to truly appreciate her life in the moment, and aims to make up for any mistakes made in the past.
-
At the same time, we follow the experiences of the three children, Nicki, Porter, and Elliot, along with the granddaughter Cecilia and her new friend, August. This book, which is a coming-of-age for all characters involved, invokes feelings of sadness, reflection, happiness, and love.
-
I loved this book and ate it up. Something about a character driven book is so appealing to me. I love feeling like I know the characters. Straub does a fantastic job fleshing out each of their personalities and doesn’t shy away from presenting their flaws. If you like contemporary fiction + character-driven novels, this is for you.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead
-
Elwood Curtis finds himself at the Nickel Academy, confined due to a mistake made on his way to class. Nickel appears to be a reformatory for troubled young boys, but inside it’s walls, it commits horrendous acts of torture and abuse. We follow Elwood’s time at nickel, with a handful of chapters reading in retrospect about the academy and it’s long-term effects on the boys.
-
As Whitehead mentions in the acknowledgements, the book is fictional but is based heavily on the events which occurred in Marianna, FL, at the Dozier School for Boys. Whitehead portrays the horrific reality of what life was like for boys in the school by portraying it through Elwood and others. The nickel boys is a tense and harsh read that forces you to truly recognize parts of history that have been purposefully hidden.
-
Elwood Curtis finds himself at the Nickel Academy, confined due to a mistake made on his way to class. Nickel appears to be a reformatory for troubled young boys, but inside it’s walls, it commits horrendous acts of torture and abuse. We follow Elwood’s time at nickel, with a handful of chapters reading in retrospect about the academy and it’s long-term effects on the boys.
-
As Whitehead mentions in the acknowledgements, the book is fictional but is based heavily on the events which occurred in Marianna, FL, at the Dozier School for Boys. Whitehead portrays the horrific reality of what life was like for boys in the school by portraying it through Elwood and others. The nickel boys is a tense and harsh read that forces you to truly recognize parts of history that have been purposefully hidden.