bestja01's reviews
276 reviews

Verity by Colleen Hoover

dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.0

I keep trying to get into Colleen Hoover’s books, but I can’t quite connect with them. I definitely was intrigued by this book and wanted to keep reading, and the twist at the end really got me, but I was very frustrated by the one-note-ness of Jeremy and Lowen throughout most of the book, and I don’t think the ending made up for that. Interesting plot and premise, and some good parts, but not my favorite.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

challenging funny medium-paced

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

3.25

Definitely a farce, with some very funny moments. The main character, Ignatius, is absolutely insufferable, but that’s the point. It was a slow read but fun, and I liked the way everything came together at the end without rewarding/excusing the behavior of the characters.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

4.5

Beautifully written book that explores institutional poverty, the opioid crisis, and the struggles and heartbreak of ultra-rural Appalachia. A deeply sad story with a bit of hope at the end, with characters you love and want to succeed despite everything stacked against them.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Beautiful story with beautiful characters; it broke my heart in ways I didn’t expect, but it also made me fall deeply in love with these characters. An absolutely beautiful experience.

City by Alessandro Baricco

challenging slow-paced

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

4.0

Weird book, but good. Witty prose, very stream-of-consciousness writing, and a lot of meandering thoughts on life and the world all revolving around two peoples’ fantasy worlds as they try to figure out their real lives. Strange book, but with a lot of beauty.

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

A beast of a book to read, but the stories and language are beautiful. I already want to go back and revisit their journeys. It took forever to get through, and there are so many characters with similar names that it makes your head spin, but the world is so well built, it makes you feel completely immersed in the story (except for the part where you’re constantly flipping to the glossary to remember all the characters and their relationships)

The Maid by Nita Prose

mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

I really liked reading this book from Molly’s POV- it made it a slightly different type of murder mystery, where me as a reader could pick up the cues Molly was missing, and it made me root for her to figure them out, as well. I loved the way it all turned out, and loved Molly as a character along with the family she finds. A fun read!

Confess by Colleen Hoover

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

My first Colleen Hoover book- I enjoyed it, but it didn’t wow me. It was a solid romance novel with a predictable but fun plot and enjoyable but not remarkable characters.

Skyward Flight by Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson

adventurous 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

4.0

I like that the novellas filled in the gaps with the secondary characters I’ve been missing in the main novels- I’m excited to see how they all come together when the next novel comes out.

Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous lighthearted mysterious 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

4.25

Another good book in the series, but I thought it was the final volume in a trilogy and it turns out there will be a fourth book. Bummer. I still miss the characters from book 1 and hope to see more of them in book 4.