bandysbooks's reviews
183 reviews

The House Plant by Jeremy Ray

emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

A Story told from the perspective of a house plant. 

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.5

A group of characters observing the end of the world

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.5

Two women dealing with the legacy of a small southern town and it’s racism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A fated romance story where the main character is conflicted.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Grief

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

This is a story that reflects on a family,  politics, and culture. Olga is struggling with relationships, abandonment issues, and figuring out her direction in life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment

This Is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan

adventurous emotional informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Cultural appropriation

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War

Free Love by Tessa Hadley

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

The writing is good and the first half of the book was solid. For me the second half went a bit off the rails and the ending was really disappointing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment

Bones to the Wind by Tatiana Obey

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

A zombie plague has spread across the world. Or has it? You need to do things you’ve never imagined to survive. Or do you? These are the concepts explored in And Then I Woke Up. Main character, Spence, has been in a rehab facility for awhile now and has come to realize that the true plague is one the affects human’s perception of reality. That perception is explored further when one of the people in rehab with him asks for his help on seeking out he old group.

Wow. I found this engaging from the get-go. The story picked up instantly and never stopped. Told between flashes to the past and current day, this is the perfect exploration of plague on earth. It is particularly timely and relevant in a world filled with “fake news” and skewed perceptions.

My only real quarrel with the book is that I wished it was longer. I could’ve easily read a full length novel based on this plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence