aviously6's reviews
58 reviews

Animal Farm by George Orwell

challenging dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

I think this book has a lot of analysis potential, and I appreciate what it is trying to point out about dictatorship and corrupt leaders. This is definitely a good book to teach younger children about concepts like that.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous funny fast-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

4.25

I liked the pacing and concept of this book - I really enjoy getting to learn about Sanderson's worlds. It's a very conceptually interesting concept, came at from an angle that I don't often see sudden superheros come from. Definitely a good read, and I'm excited for the next book!

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

reflective medium-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? Yes

3.75

I really enjoyed this book! It's not quite a sequel to the giver in the sense that it's a continuation of that story, but it is in the sense that it's the same world. I hope that things come together more later in the series, I'd love to see these plotlines connect and learn more about the world itself. I enjoy the narrators that Lowry picks out, and getting to see their view on the world.

The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed this! I don't think I loved it as much as other books of his, but I found the characters very endearing and real, and enjoyed this kind of alternative universe take, especially with the interspersed guide pages. It was very fun, and very interesting to read, though the beginning was a bit slow/hard for me to get through. A very enjoyable read.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This is such a classic book, and Lowry thought of such an interesting concept. I really enjoyed getting to go back and read this as an adult, and I think though the text is easier now, it still holds a lot of meaning.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

This was so interesting. Butler has such a way with words and concepts, and I loved how original this idea was. I was putting myself in Dana's shoes a lot, about how terrifying the situation would be, while also being able to step back and see it as the historical/science fiction that it is, and what it means for our reality. It really gets you thinking, and is a book I really wish I'd been assigned in high school.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging funny inspiring 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

I just really loved and enjoyed this book! I loved an interesting narrator perspective, and how much work Sanderson put into his characters and his world. It's my first Sanderson book, and it got me immediately hooked on the idea of reading more of his. 10/10, definitely recommend!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

challenging emotional informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

I was honestly really loving this book, and the ending definitely made me cry, but I didn't love it. The twist felt a little cheap and rushed. Though I totally understand it as an ending, and how it brings things full circle, I just personally didn't enjoy that. It might click with someone else. Still, I loved the characters and the concept and the very ethical question it brings up, and especially how we can relate it to topics like abortion in today's society. I also adored how we jumped between points of view, but never really saw Kate's until the end. It's interesting what you can extrapolate from that, and how Anna feels about her ignored perspective.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I thought this book was conceptually very interesting. It is also incredibly dated, both in its terminology and it's portrayal of women. Still, it was a super interesting narrator perspective, which is really what I enjoyed the most about this book. Like other books known for "unreliable narrators", this one was interesting to think about how much of what we were reading was altered by Charlie's perspective, both at the beginning of the book and in the middle ('peak' intelligence involved a lot of him assuming how others felt and what their motives were, which bites him in the ass a lot). I also don't quite understand the amount of people who say this book made them sob - I felt bad for him towards the end, but it didn't make me cry.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous inspiring reflective slow-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? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed getting to follow what feels like a complete journey of a character, while also leading well into the next book that continues that journey. I also really enjoyed the afterword of Le Guin's thoughts when writing out the book, especially in regards to racial diversity, but I also wish that there had been more proper representation for women in it. Regardless, though I'm not as used to the slow pace, I think this series will be good to try to get my attention span back under control.