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catalinamunoz's reviews
178 reviews
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
It starts off slow until you can't let it go. Beautiful, difficult, heartbreaking, and so much more.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
I got to 50% and had to DNF. I couldn't care less about the story.
The Right Move by Liz Tomforde
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had so much fun with this one!
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
challenging
emotional
sad
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
4.75
Martyr! follows an Iranian man, Cyrus, whose parents have both died (one in a plane crash and the other by suicide sometime later), grappling with the concept of death. He learns about a dying artist in Brooklyn who is spending her final days in a museum and talking to visitors about anything they choose, and he visits her, deciding to write a book about martyrs.
The story touches on many topics successfully, such as grief, martyrdom, sobriety and addiction, family, apathy, and social and cultural identity.
This book contains interesting ideas. Cyrus believes it is more meaningful to sacrifice oneself while enjoying life, and he also thinks some deaths are “more useful than others.” Some of his beliefs are extreme, making the story compelling.
It made me think about choosing to live life as you feel it is supposed to be instead of as it is. The protagonist lives his life as a martyr and molds everything around that. The story shows how painful that is, but martyrdom is supposed to be painful, so it depicts how the character succeeds in that regard.
“If the mortal sin of the suicide is greed, to hoard stillness and calm for yourself while dispersing your riotous internal pain among all those who survive you, then the mortal sin of the martyr must be pride, the vanity, the hubris to believe not only that your death could mean more than your living, but that your death could mean more than death itself—which, because it is inevitable, means nothing.”
The writing is also beautiful. If you like literary fiction and haven’t read this yet, put this one at the top of your list.
The story touches on many topics successfully, such as grief, martyrdom, sobriety and addiction, family, apathy, and social and cultural identity.
This book contains interesting ideas. Cyrus believes it is more meaningful to sacrifice oneself while enjoying life, and he also thinks some deaths are “more useful than others.” Some of his beliefs are extreme, making the story compelling.
It made me think about choosing to live life as you feel it is supposed to be instead of as it is. The protagonist lives his life as a martyr and molds everything around that. The story shows how painful that is, but martyrdom is supposed to be painful, so it depicts how the character succeeds in that regard.
“If the mortal sin of the suicide is greed, to hoard stillness and calm for yourself while dispersing your riotous internal pain among all those who survive you, then the mortal sin of the martyr must be pride, the vanity, the hubris to believe not only that your death could mean more than your living, but that your death could mean more than death itself—which, because it is inevitable, means nothing.”
The writing is also beautiful. If you like literary fiction and haven’t read this yet, put this one at the top of your list.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The story follows Feyre, a mortal who, after killing a faerie in the woods while hunting, is taken to the magical realm of the Fae. She is trapped in a dangerous world of political intrigue, magical bargains, and looming threats. It took me just a couple of pages to realize that the plot was very familiar to me—yep, it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
When I realized I was bummed. REALLY?! The most popular Young Adult Fantasy Series is a Beauty and the Beast retelling? I was a little shocked but stayed committed.
Another thing I was unsure about was the whole new world of magic and Fae politics. But Maas did an excellent job of easing me into it. I was soon hooked, eagerly flipping through pages, excited by the tension and the stakes, which felt high at every turn.
What stood out to me most was the sense of danger. Everything felt life-or-death, and the suspense kept me invested. The protagonist, Feyre, is annoying as hell, and her character development is slow. But the book is more plot-driven than character-driven, so I didn’t mind too much because the action was engaging.
The writing? Meh. But the fast-paced action carried the story forward. The world-building was fun, and Maas’s ability to draw me into Feyre’s struggles kept me hooked, even when the prose didn’t blow me away.
Overall, I’m glad I gave it a shot. It’s a good introduction to fantasy and a great escape. While the writing isn’t stellar, the plot and world-building make it worthwhile, and I’m continuing to the next book (someday).
When I realized I was bummed. REALLY?! The most popular Young Adult Fantasy Series is a Beauty and the Beast retelling? I was a little shocked but stayed committed.
Another thing I was unsure about was the whole new world of magic and Fae politics. But Maas did an excellent job of easing me into it. I was soon hooked, eagerly flipping through pages, excited by the tension and the stakes, which felt high at every turn.
What stood out to me most was the sense of danger. Everything felt life-or-death, and the suspense kept me invested. The protagonist, Feyre, is annoying as hell, and her character development is slow. But the book is more plot-driven than character-driven, so I didn’t mind too much because the action was engaging.
The writing? Meh. But the fast-paced action carried the story forward. The world-building was fun, and Maas’s ability to draw me into Feyre’s struggles kept me hooked, even when the prose didn’t blow me away.
Overall, I’m glad I gave it a shot. It’s a good introduction to fantasy and a great escape. While the writing isn’t stellar, the plot and world-building make it worthwhile, and I’m continuing to the next book (someday).
Penance by Eliza Clark
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
This was my first approach to Eliza Clark’s work, and I have no regrets—just many thoughts.
Penance is a fictional true crime story narrated by Alec Carelli, a disgraced journalist aiming to write something as iconic as Capote’s In Cold Blood (I mean, sure). The book recounts the brutal murder of teenager Joan Wilson, who was tortured and set on fire.
I could see how Eliza Clark set out to do two things: (1) critique true crime as entertainment and society’s obsession with it and (2) tell a gripping murder mystery. On the first front, she absolutely succeeds. Clark holds up a mirror to our compulsion to consume tragedy. But as a mystery thriller? The stakes felt too low, and I couldn’t get myself to care about the unraveling of events.
The story lacks surprises or urgency. Maybe it’s just me–this is my first incursion into mystery thrillers– but I coasted through the revelations rather than being gripped by them.
That said, the writing is excellent. Alec Carelli’s narrative is journalistic—clinical, detached, fact-over-feeling—and works perfectly. Clark captures how innocent games escalate into horrifying violence: the girls play at killing, then chillingly follow through.
Another highlight is Alec Carelli himself. He wants to write “literary” true crime while condemning the culture that consumes it. He’s deeply flawed and complicit, and the book thrives on contradictions: entertainment that critiques entertainment, violence that feels mundane, and teenage perpetrators who are somehow still lost girls.
So here I sit with a mixed review. The concept is sharp, the writing polished, but the story’s heart—its tension—didn’t grab me. I closed the book feeling like I’d read something clever, just not something I loved.
Penance is a fictional true crime story narrated by Alec Carelli, a disgraced journalist aiming to write something as iconic as Capote’s In Cold Blood (I mean, sure). The book recounts the brutal murder of teenager Joan Wilson, who was tortured and set on fire.
I could see how Eliza Clark set out to do two things: (1) critique true crime as entertainment and society’s obsession with it and (2) tell a gripping murder mystery. On the first front, she absolutely succeeds. Clark holds up a mirror to our compulsion to consume tragedy. But as a mystery thriller? The stakes felt too low, and I couldn’t get myself to care about the unraveling of events.
The story lacks surprises or urgency. Maybe it’s just me–this is my first incursion into mystery thrillers– but I coasted through the revelations rather than being gripped by them.
That said, the writing is excellent. Alec Carelli’s narrative is journalistic—clinical, detached, fact-over-feeling—and works perfectly. Clark captures how innocent games escalate into horrifying violence: the girls play at killing, then chillingly follow through.
Another highlight is Alec Carelli himself. He wants to write “literary” true crime while condemning the culture that consumes it. He’s deeply flawed and complicit, and the book thrives on contradictions: entertainment that critiques entertainment, violence that feels mundane, and teenage perpetrators who are somehow still lost girls.
So here I sit with a mixed review. The concept is sharp, the writing polished, but the story’s heart—its tension—didn’t grab me. I closed the book feeling like I’d read something clever, just not something I loved.
Evenings & Weekends by Oisín McKenna
Set during a hot summer weekend in London while a whale is stuck in the Thames, this novel promises a moving, “life-changing” story about interconnected lives. Unfortunately, I think the only character who experienced a truly “life-changing” weekend was the whale (sigh).
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Set during a hot summer weekend in London while a whale is stuck in the Thames, this novel promises a moving, “life-changing” story about interconnected lives. Unfortunately, I think the only character who experienced a truly “life-changing” weekend was the whale (sigh).
This is a character-driven story, but it feels like the author leaned too hard into that idea—there are simply too many characters. They blend together, becoming indistinguishable, and because of this, I couldn’t connect with any of them or get pulled into the story.
The whale stuck in the Thames is intriguing, but it ends up feeling like an anecdote rather than a meaningful symbol. I kept expecting an Aha! moment where its presence tied into the story or delivered some kind of revelation, but that moment never came.
If you enjoyed Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You, you might like this book. For me, though, the lack of connection and a clear thread linking the characters made it hard to immerse myself in the story fully.
What could have been better: Fewer characters and a more cohesive narrative would have gone a long way in making this story as profound as it wants to be.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
But no book is perfect, and this one’s execution is a bit weak. It overuses exclamation marks to show the characters’ excitement, which ends up feeling repetitive and cheap. The narrative also lacks a climatic turning point, leaving the third act underwhelming.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this read a lot. It’s an intriguing and thought-provoking exploration of identity and what it means to exist without the constructs of society.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
It had been a while since I had read a dystopian novel, and I was excited to read this one. I Who Have Never Known Men follows forty women held captive in a cage, with no memory of how they got there (or why), as seen through the eyes of the youngest among them–a protagonist raised without societal norms, culture, or inherited knowledge. This is fascinating and, throughout the story, invites reflection on womanhood, relationships, and the nature of freedom.
This book gripped me, and I found the protagonist’s perspective compelling. Her worldview offers a fresh lens on topics like love, mortality, and connection.
"I was forced to acknowledge too late, much too late, that I too had loved, that I was capable of suffering and that I was human after all."
But no book is perfect, and this one’s execution is a bit weak. It overuses exclamation marks to show the characters’ excitement, which ends up feeling repetitive and cheap. The narrative also lacks a climatic turning point, leaving the third act underwhelming.
The title is an odd choice, too, as the story barely touches on men or the protagonist’s thoughts about them, making it feel disconnected from the book’s actual themes.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this read a lot. It’s an intriguing and thought-provoking exploration of identity and what it means to exist without the constructs of society.
What stayed with me: The stark exploration of what it means to exist without societal constructs is haunting and thought-provoking. It left me questioning how much of who we are is shaped by the world around us. More than just a dystopian story, it’s a meditation on humanity stripped down to its essence.