artmuseam's reviews
206 reviews

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.75

this was my first book to read by celeste ng and i was honestly unsure of what to prepare myself for. while it is a dystopian, “fiction” piece, this felt way too realistic with the anti-asian violence that is sewn throughout the story—and celeste ng does make note of that! however i thought the execution was a bit weak with this concept and the ending made me feel disappointed. maybe it’s my own hope of a happy ending being needed in a story full of loss, violence, and strained love, but i was unsatisfied with how the conclusion turned out. still, this book did make me reflect on the notions of american nationalism and what it means to be a “true” american—something we find so commonly today. i will admit that a couple scenes left me in tears, so prepare some tissues if you crumble at emotional stories about mothers love like me!

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A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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

5.0

what a beautiful, emotional read from start to finish! this book had me giggling and crying at so many parts. i grew to love ove and love all the characters woven with his story. have to say i didnt expect this book to touch my heart so closely, especially when i first expected it to be a mundane slice of life story of an old man. no, it was so much more than that. im truly glad and grateful that i got to read this book :)

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

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adventurous challenging funny hopeful medium-paced

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

3.75

honestly this book gave me a lot of mixed feelings at first. this was my first time reading andy weir’s work and i wasn’t a fan..at first. lots of fun and interesting elements that involve alien friendships and unique styles of communication. not sure if the comedy was for me because i found it to be too immature/forced at times. the ending felt too long at first, but that last chapter definitely got my hopes for this book back up. i would say this was a fun read overall!

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

absolutely loved this book from start to finish! the combination of a thought provoking scifi thriller and a love story was so well done. when a book gives me tons of (good) stress and keeps me on my toes and makes me tear up, i already know it’s one of my top favorites, and “dark matter” did exactly that! definitely recommend to all nerds and scifi lovers out there.

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