Scan barcode
angrybookworm's reviews
170 reviews
The Werewolf Meets His Match by Kristen Painter
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was fun! Especially if you don’t take it too seriously. I enjoyed reading this and it got me out of something of a reading slump. I would recommend it for sure. I can’t wait to keep reading this collection.
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
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? No
3.75
I loved this book! It was a bit young for me but it reminds me a lot of books I really loved in middle/high school. The main character, Petra is so hopeful and resourceful. The message of this book is how important stories are to us and how they are ultimately what makes the human experience. It really highlights the importance of culture, sharing that culture, and treating each other with kindness. It also touches on being thankful for those who came before us and paved the way for what we have now. It's so sweet and I really enjoyed listening to it.
The Ophelia Girls by Jane Healey
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was honestly a little disappointed by this book. I really liked the concept but it took me a longggggg time to care about the characters at all. I felt like I couldn't relate to either of them very much until about halfway through the book. A lot of Maeve's character felt like it was made more complicated than it needed to be for these things to happen. I have no idea why her having been ill as a child was important to her story at all. I hated Stuart from the very first time he was mentioned and I was right. I wish the ending was more satisfying because once we got into the very real complications of these characters and I started to think they were interesting, they just wrapped everything up and everything was "okay" in the end without anyone actually doing anything to get there. I do think it's a good book, I just wanted more out of these characters because I think they deserved it. I also really think they should have drowned Stuart in the river at the end. It would have been satisfying Though, I do wonder if maybe the reason the ending wasn't satisyfing is because it was a realistic ending. That is kind of how those things tend to go and I think a lot of my wishing is that I was in Maeve's position once and I wish someone had DROWNED HIM instead of just not doing anything about it really. The mom deserved better, too. Stuart deserved worse.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: War, Homophobia, and Sexual violence
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
I liked this book way more than I thought I would! The characters were cute but I did find them slightly flat. The plot was predictable but fun and thought of vampires in a different way than I'm used to. The lore wasn't a huge part of the story which I wish it was (his vampire powers didn't make a ton of sense to me). Overall, this was a fun read that took me on a fun journey and makes some interesting inferences about motherhood (though it isn't lost on me that it was written by a man), community, and how dangerous men can be when they are not checked by others and how we should trust the caretakers of the community.
Priest by Sierra Simone
dark
funny
fast-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
2.5
I did not like this book. The concept was interesting but they took it the entire wrong way and relied fully on this couple being hot enough to not care except they weren't. I'm not even religious but I feel like I need to repent for reading it for some reason. I wish there was a little more intention behind this book but if you like smut with bad plot that ruins the second half of the book and characters that seem like they'll be important but are completely forgotten then this is the book for you.
Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-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? No
5.0
There is something so beautifully simple about Banana Yoshimoto's writing that really brings out the genuine feelings of living. From the beginning of the story you think you know how it's going to end, and it sort of does end that way but it sort of doesn't. The characters are very forward in this story, which I usually would think takes away from telling a story like this but instead it highlights the importance of what they say to each other. At it's core, this is a story about cousins and sisters being girls together. We see a love story come to life in front of us, and watch the trials of it from the outside, while still getting all of the feelings of being young adults, teenagers really during the summer with the people you care about. It's about starting over and going back and knowing how to move forward without losing your roots and I cried three times because I have never seen all of these feelings captured so accurately in a book before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald
dark
sad
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? It's complicated
2.0
This was kind of boring and felt wholy sexist in a lot of places
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
This book made me sob. everyone must read it.
Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The thing I liked the most about this book was the accuracy of living in a working in theatre and having a theatre company that creates a family. I credit the author a lot with that accuracy and also just really enjoyed some of the characters. As a whole, I didn't love this story and I feel like by the end the problem was made a way bigger issue than it needed to be. There was no sense of urgency or actually having the world fall apart for these characters and in the end it felt like none of them cared anyway. I had a lot of hope for this book and it did let me down a little bit but it wasn't terrible.
The Problem That Has No Name by Betty Friedan
informative
fast-paced
3.0
More essay than anything. The points made were good but not original and it didn't really change my perspective on anything. I understand where the author wanted me to go and I did but it didn't take much convincing to get me there. I'm not totally sure how I felt about this book actually.