charlieinwonder1and's reviews
42 reviews

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

This was such an arresting read. The attitude towards death in this book was so fascinating and ultimately devastating. Scenes from this book will stay with me for a long time, the imagery was so vivid. At first I didn’t like how it was written in the first person and past tense because I thought it lowered the stakes because you know the author survived, but as you read on you discover the tragedy in this. 

Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility by Thelma Young Lutunatabua, Rebecca Solnit

hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

This book was exactly what I wanted right now. It has enthused and galvanised me. I love that it emphasises the importance of community and coming together to make progress. 

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is a special book. It was so moving and will stay with me for a long time. The way it was crafted with the multiple points of view and interjecting authorial voice was masterful. This is a story we need in the world today. 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

I found the start of the book quite difficult to get into and felt that the plot only really started gaining momentum after 25% of the way through. It did get more enjoyable as I went through, but I won’t be rushing to read the next book in the series. 

Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

4.75

I loved this book. It feels fresh and new and exciting. I loved the different forms the different stories took, like a survey, or with footnotes that are the main part. The writing was so visceral and really made me react physically, which is a sign of vivid and immersive storytelling. I loved the almost narrator’s voice developing throughout. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is because it took me ages to read, even though it is so short, so it wasn’t as if I couldn’t put it down. 

Meat Planet, Volume 69: Artificial Flesh and the Future of Food by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft

informative slow-paced

3.0

I enjoyed the conversation about lab grown meat and what counts as kosher, this was a new area of thinking for me. I picked this book to read alongside my critical animal studies class, and whilst it did somewhat explore representations of meat eating in the media and new technologies around producing meat, I didn’t feel like this book made any groundbreaking conclusions and I didn’t massively enjoy reading it either. The message that capitalism and overconsumption are the main evils, rather than farming or meat eating in themselves, was a conclusion I agree with, even if it is not a new one. 

The Restless Girls by Jessie Burton

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

I used to love the Barbie movie version of this and I saw “retelling” in the blurb, so I was sold. Perfect quick comfort read. 

The Shapeless Unease: A Year of Not Sleeping by Samantha Harvey

challenging reflective slow-paced

3.5

I enjoyed the musings on guilt, womanhood and how it’s a writer writing about writing in their own book. 

The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is my second time reading this book and it is just as enchanting as the first. It made me fall in love with magical realism and I always love books based on myth, folklore and fairytales. The way this tale spins and reels you in is masterful. I will definitely return to it in the future. 

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The atmosphere created in this book is incredible. The only part of this book I wouldn’t recommend is reading it before bed, it is not relaxing in the slightest.