charms92's reviews
184 reviews

Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones

informative medium-paced

3.0

Nocticadia by Keri Lake

dark mysterious tense 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

4.25

Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson

informative slow-paced

2.0

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

There are scars on my heart, just as thick, as disfiguring as those on my face. I know they're there. I hope some undamaged tissue remains, a patch through which love can come in and flow out. I hope.

Oh, Eleanor. What a perfectly imperfect mess you are. 

I found this novel to be an excellent character study. While not very plot-focused, there is a mystery to be solved, and the twist at the end left me with a sense of despair and grief. Eleanor has to come to terms with her traumatic past and we as readers are only given the information that Eleanor is willing to share. This novel shows the power of resiliency, the healing power of friendship, and the power of claiming agency in one's life. I loved how realistic the portrayal of PTSD and depression was and how Honeyman approached this with delicate empathy.

Our main character, Eleanor Oliphant is very hard to like at first but as you progress in the novel, you begin to understand why she is the way she is. And honestly, if I were to have lived her life, I couldn't be sure I would fare any better. While most of the novel focuses on Eleanor, we also glimpse her budding friendship with Raymond, who is absolutely loveable. I love that their relationship never felt forced, nor transitioned into a romantic relationship.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

adventurous emotional 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? No

3.5

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.0

10 Rules for the Perfect Murder by Chris Tebbetts, Jameson Patterson

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? No

0.75

Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.75