amy_reads91's reviews
90 reviews

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely gripping and really made me think. I loved the different character voices and points of view throughout and how they all interlinked. It made me think a lot about compassion, empathy and even my own politics on justice.  

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.0

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

adventurous informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

Saltwater by Jessica Andrews

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

I loved the non-linear storyline and the air of mystery is created. The writing style and descriptions created a vivid image of the time and place I remember so well. It was so haunting and sad in some ways that felt relatable. 

The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Somewhere between a Handmaid's Tale and Black Mirror future, with lots of twists I didn't see coming. Made me think a lot about what it means to be "human" beyond biology, and felt like a lot of the logic could be applied to a lot of ongoing current issues with unnecessary divisiveness and prejudice.

The ending made me cry - it was so beautifully kind and hopeful, and a nice antithesis to how unsettling a lot of dystopian futures end up

No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Such an interesting writing style, which I really enjoyed.

Part 1 I initially thought would reveal itself to be the thoughts/experiences of someone with psychosis, so made me really question my own scrolling habits and I realised it was perhaps in the style of the scattered information overload that happens when you obsessively scroll social media feeds. 

Part 2 left me in an emotional wreck and I could picture everything so vividly. The contrast with Part 1 and the themes of loss and regret (including of time, with mindlessly scrolling) hit a chord and I found the storyline with the

pregnancy, baby and death was so beautifully and heartbreakingly written