booked4joy's reviews
197 reviews

Road To Malevolence: A Novel by Samyra Alexander

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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? No

4.0

If "what's next" was a book, this would be it! This story had me guessing and didn't give anything away. Janet was a character who had enough and was going to take care of grown folks business since they didn't seem capable. Kudos to the author for such imaginative, suspenseful, gripping writting. I read a lot of suspense novels, and this was top notch.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death

The Girlfriend by K.L. Slater

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful tense

5.0

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

5.0

Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America's Black Cities by Andre M. Perry

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I did not ready any summaries of this book beforehand and went in blind. It was gripping and there was tension right out the gate. I kept wondering what was going to happen and how. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The subject matter and characters made me so angry and many parts of the story tugged at emotions. This was a rollercoaster of real history and it's been well entangled into a psychological thriller. So well done.

You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience by Tarana Burke, Brené Brown

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I had a hard time finishing this book in hardback, but thought maybe the audio version would be different. It definitely was even more powerful to HEAR these stories. This book is a beautiful compilation and I'm so glad I gave it a 3rd chance. 

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

2.75

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

4.0

Blink: A Psychological Thriller with a Killer Twist You'll Never Forget by K.L. Slater

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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

2.75

I have read all but one of this author's books and this one, for some reason, was the hardest to follow. It still had an intense wrap up as usual for this author, but was not in my top list. I still highly recommend!