charlotte113's reviews
39 reviews

War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line by David Nott

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challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.5

Dr Nott explores the harsh reality of trauma medicine on the front line and exposed the truth he faced whilst supporting local doctors in various war zones. Learning about the emotional impacts this had on him as a doctor was fascinating and I really enjoyed reading his book. Being able to follow the stories into the present through his YouTube has also been incredibly moving. He is such an inspiration for an aspiring medical student.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

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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? Yes

5.0

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a book!
This is such a cleverly written novel. Owens develops characters that you developed a really close understanding of. I felt like I knew Kya as a friend, and wanted to meet up with her again. 
The story didn't rush and the ending (Although unexpected) was beautiful. 
The development of the plot was so cleverly done, moving through the two separate time lines was well written so that it wasn't confusing but the earlier time helped develop and enhance the present. 
Additional characters didn't feel forced in and really added to the plot. 

A book I really enjoyed reading and cannot wait to watch the film now!
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Rock Paper Killers by Alexia Mason

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The plot takes a while to build up and spends time creating a background for the story to develop from first. However, the last 50 or so pages were truly exciting and I couldn't put the book down!
The characters are all unique and so diverse. It was lovely being able to read about their characters thoughts as well as their actions, this really added to the level of understanding on later actions carried out.
My only negative would be that the ending was a bit confusing, it all felt very quickly finished. And the epilogue just added more information that was a bit of a surprise and not linking to the rest entirely, although interesting to know.
Four Weddings and a Fiasco by Catherine Ferguson

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was such a wholesome book. Katy is a lovely character who I really felt like I got to know and understand. The other characters really helped to develop the plot and didn't confuse me as the reader. A lovely happy ending too 
The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman

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

3.5

This was a good book but compared to other Steadman books, I didn't find it to be as captivating or exciting. It was exciting and thrilling towards the end, and the small sense of mystery when Steadman allows the reader to infer rather than telling us everything is a nice addition.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Compared to other Foley books, this is maybe a bit slow building, but I still absolutely loved it. The last quater was incredible. I love how Foley managed to merge past and present in the same book, and leave a mystery of who's been killed and who did it? Especially when every person has a motive too.
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The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

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

2.5

The beginning of the novel was particularly difficult to read through, it felt like I was reading a badly written diary that didn't quite know where it was going. The plot did get better and the last 50 or so pages made some sense after learning about the background of the character, however this did lead to a disappointing ending that felt a bit thrown away. The plot became repetitive after the author started repeating ideas, just under different character names. It's a pity the book wasn't well written as I think the idea had potentially, just could have been executed better.
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The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love it love it love it, I couldn't stop thinking about it when I put it down. The romance wasn't overwhelming and there was such a nice story to it. It's not complicatedly written and is an easy read.
Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book was so good. I loved how the author had a thriller but twisted in sections of romance. There were plot twists that had me gasping and scenes that put me on the edge of tears. 
I really enjoyed how the theme of bees was wound through the whole book and not thrown away after the first chapter like most. 

However I felt that the ending was a bit thrown away, it was building and then the last bit of information was given and forgotten about.
I want to know what happens between Mike and Olivia, I want to know how Maya deals with the guilt of knowing she should be charged with manslaughter (at least), I want to know how Asher does at college, how Boris finds the AT, what did Braden do after leaving the court room???
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Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy

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

5.0

This book broke my heart, and somehow managed to sew it back together, all in 514 pages. Noah is such an incredible character, claiming him as my book boyfriend, and the relationship and issues are mind capturing. 
At times the plot is cliché, but it's so we'll written that it makes you question whether it will follow the expected route. 
But they all lived happily ever after, well apart from Chase maybe.
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