apalershadeofwhite's reviews
252 reviews

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Oh my shitting lord, I can't believe it's over. Aelin, you were a wonderful experience. This whole universe was a wonderful experience

A Court of Wings and Ruin (Parts 1-3) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional funny tense

5.0

The Chocolate Tree by Dina Gregory

lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

Felt like a mix between the tale of Tantalus, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and a children's fairytale lol

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I LOVED this collection; apart from Ligeia... I didn't like was Ligeia. But the rest were so so good. Dark, weird, and thought-provoking. Will probably read again and would definitely recommend it

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

I love this so much! Fun, lighthearted but also important and serious messages, an all around GREAT book

Fractured Freedom by Shain Rose
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell by Aldous Huxley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.

DNF at 60%

I quote enjoyed 'The Doors of Perception' but 'Heaven and Hell' was such a snooze fest

A Court of Thorns and Roses (Parts 1 & 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Connective Tissue by Jane Fraser

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

3.5

I can't tell whether these stories just merely have overlapping details (such as how characters take their tea, where they stay, or events in their life) or if these stores are all the same couple/family; either at different points in their life or in different universes.

Either way, this collection is undeniably about loss, in many forms. I found this to be a pretty solid collection and I really enjoyed it. I caught myself feeling with and for the characters even in a short space of time, which is impressive, but I was brought out of the narratives because there were quite a few errors in the writing (a rogue 'and' in the middle of the sentence that made no sense, using 'your' instead of 'you') and I had to read a few things again to realize what was meant to be portrayed. This may be because it is a fairly recent print, but it still unfortunately affected the reading experience for me

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail