apriltrepagnier's reviews
67 reviews

Dirty Little Midlife Crisis by Lilian Monroe

lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.5

I am not sure what this book was trying to do. It advertises as a bodice ripper and turns into a Hallmark movie, neither executed very well. Was hoping for one or the other, got neither, so I was disappointed. The old ladies were awesome though!

Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual by Luvvie Ajayi Jones

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challenging funny inspiring medium-paced

3.75

This book is the perfect morning cheerleader. Luvvie Ajayi Jones is smart, strong, encouraging, and irreverent. Her spin on the modern motivational book is a welcome addition. She may not have said anything I didn't already know, but hearing her say it sometimes just hit a little different. If you are looking to bitch about another motivational book, you aren't gonna like this one. Likewise, if you cannot listen to a person of color hype up other people of color without taking offense, this book isn't for you. For the rest of us, add it to your collection and pull it down when you need it. It's worthy of a spot.

Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I really liked this one...it's one of those that you might think is genre fiction, but I sure wish I could have a deeper conversation about it. It would definitely support it. The positioning of gender, class, the judicial system, and politics is pretty great.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Pros:
Good story
Works for a beach read
Protagonist has an interesting job

Cons:
The teenager was exhausting
The protagonist a bit too...I dunno...plain?

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Pros
Diverse characters
multiple storylines well handled
Interesting story ideas

Cons
Mistreatment of majority characters to the extent that it stifled conversation
Clear author opinion of villains and heroes without nuance
caricatures instead of people
dismissive of fatherhood as a given - not as a storyline

Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I am a big fan of Irish Literature. This one didn't quite do it for me. It just left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. But I really wanted to like it. The characters and the story deserved it.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

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emotional informative reflective 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? Yes

3.75

Pros
Compelling story
multiple story lines done well
generational representation

Cons
Can't put my finger on it. Maybe is the time bounces.
Wasn't a page turner

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced