The book started out so lovely and poetic, and I was excited for the romance. The middle really dragged on and I felt like the story and the characters were unrealistic, and the romance took itself too seriously. In that way I was disappointed by the middle, but the end was my favorite part. Things seemed to fit together and the language finally unraveled and made sense. I just wish the experience I had at the end of the novel was consistent. But I’m glad I read it!

There There by Tommy Orange

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challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Read for my Indigenous Lit class. I think everyone should read this book. Informative, emotional, funny, captivating, lyrical, painful. A glimpse into the interconnected lives of Native people in Oakland with important discussions of identity and generational trauma. I’m surprised more people aren’t reading this!

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

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emotional funny medium-paced

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

3.5

First book for my Jane Austen class. I loved this! I found it funny and interesting, especially when it came to character development.

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon

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hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

3.0

I would never recommend this book for its literary prowess, but the wisdom and 10 rule plan was inspiring. I found this very helpful! Quick read, worth your time.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

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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? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Book 1 was probably my favorite, filled with intrigue and vivid descriptions. Book 2 was tense and thrilling yet focused intensely on our character’s decline, twisting my love for the ambiance into hatred for the characters. Reading this, I was engrossed, but I don’t think I can read this again. Dark dark dark beautiful sad and crazy all at once. A great companion book would be “Bunny” by Mona Awad.

Content Warnings

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

This book is far from what I expected it to be, which was a singular journey for Kirabo to find her mother. It was more centered around other relationships and culture. The storyline was confusing for me, but it really wrapped up in the end. I learned much about different perspectives from mine, about time and land and storytelling. This book made me think and receive, it’s nice to experience something different from literature than what I’m used to.

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clairedevo's reviews 40 reviews

clairedevo's reviews
40 reviews