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bgaura's reviews
154 reviews
Lucky Bastard by Charles McCarry
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Half a star since it kept me engaged. I don’t really know, I guess there wasn’t really a point? It would’ve been cool to see communism take over America but nothing ended up happening. The ending was a nice change
We Spread by Iain Reid
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a tear jerker, man. What a beautiful book. This is why Iain is one of my all time favorites. It’s abstract and surreal yet, you can clearly understand what is happening. Dealing with the subject of the elderly and dying, something that we tend to ignore as a society. This book had a profound impact on my life and the way that I see death. I think I’ve given all three of his fiction 5 stars. Absolutely incredible. Trying not to cry but I will.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this back in middle school and was sold that this was a critique on communism. It’s really not at all. Orwell being a socialist, this is a critique on capitalism and totalitarianism. The allegory here is masterful and makes me so very sad. I’m so glad I re read and since it’s so quick, I’m sure I will again
Psycho by Robert Bloch
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
I didn’t realize the movie was such a direct adaptation. It was really exciting reading the original source material, it was insane, scary, and deranged- just what I love!
The Running Man by Stephen King, Richard Bachman
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Half a star for the ending. It’s pretty clear King wrote this in 72 hours but what a cool concept and even better ending. As an anti authority guy, I love Richard’s although he certainly has his flaws. Like a lot of early King some stuff is too far. It’s no Long Walk but definitely one of the stronger Bachman books
American Rapture by CJ Leede
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Maeve Fly being one of my favorite reads of 2023, I was amped for CJ Leeds's next work. Okay. I didn’t really enjoy this one. The premise, very very cool. Sex zombies?! Come on, that’s a great concept and having the lead revolve around a Catholic girl, even better. Although, as I got into the story, I found myself really disliking the lead. I’ll admit my personal life experience is much different than the lead and honestly probably the demographic of readers that pick this book up. I see that difference, and I understand why this one wasn’t really for me. I was waiting for the feminine rage that Maeve Fly exploded with and, never really got it. I found the “will they-won’t they” aspect of Sophie and Maro off putting, mainly because she’s a minor. I understand it is a book and things are supposed to work out for the most part, but many times in this story I found myself thinking “well that’s convenient”. I’ll for sure recommend this to my romance loving friends but, if you’re a horror person, like me, I’d advise against it!
Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
I was so excited to read this arc after absolutely loving Manhunt! This story did not disappoint. I found the story original, compelling, and terrifying. It was certainly a difficult read, dealing with a lot of tough subject matter. I enjoyed the cast of characters although, I found myself having a tough time keeping up with everyone for the majority of the book. I felt the story jumped around quite a bit, dwelling on certain scenes that could have been shorter while not providing enough of others. Some scenes, I found myself a little confused of where we were and how we got there. I will say, this took me a bit to finish and, I think it would do this story justice to read at a quicker pace than I did. I got really strong It vibes from this book and I could clearly see the author's horror influences which, as a horror fan, I truly appreciated. A great, strong novel!
Gerald's Game by Stephen King
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
Sadly, I watched the movie first. Luckily, it was so long ago I don't remember much. Besides the premise. I knew this was going to be a difficult read given the subject matter. It was. King challenged himself with Misery by asking: what if I limit two characters to one house? With Gerald's Game, he took it even farther by focusing on a single character in one room. This book will make you mad, upset, pissed off, and terrified. It seems like that's really all i read...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Gaslighting
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I don’t know what this is. I knew this was gonna take up a lot of time. And boy, did it. Have you ever walked through a really difficult and large maze? Bumped into dead ends constantly and felt your temperature rising to the point of steam coming out of your ears? This is what this book will do to you. The reading experience can get dragged on, frustrating, tedious. But it’s so much more than that. Despite the difficult reading experience, coming out the other side is… worth it. I went into a deep dive of theories surrounding this novel as soon as I finished and let me tell you, there’s a lot. To me, the best stories do this to us. They drive us crazy and don’t leave our thoughts. Even if I wanted to finish this book as soon as I started it, I’m so glad I read it and feel that I grew as a reader from this experience. So, go out and buy this, block off a month or two, lock yourself in your room and enter the house…