bubblescotch's reviews
411 reviews

The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell

dark tense 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

2.75

Cat Among the Pigeons: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

Agatha writing POC is literally always a red flag, but the sense of setting is nice and there's a strong cast of female characters.

To Fetch a Felon by Jennifer Hawkins

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

reflective 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? Yes

4.0

A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Loop by Kōji Suzuki

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

I get what Suzuki was trying to do here, but I don’t think it works. In theory, the way that each novel deconstructs the previous ones is fascinating, but in this case, I think the effect is unfortunately to dismantle what makes the previous books so effective. 

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump

informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

The Blunderer by Patricia Highsmith

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

dark reflective 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

5.0