cluttered_mind's reviews
173 reviews

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

adventurous lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

adventurous emotional lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.5

Stoner by John Williams

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

4.0

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

challenging dark medium-paced

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

1.5

The Giver by Lois Lowry

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? No

4.25

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang

slow-paced

3.0

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

emotional fast-paced

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

4.25

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

challenging tense medium-paced

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

2.75

A good story that's poorly executed. The author rushed through the set up to get to the exciting parts. Which made those parts of the book fall flat. 

I wish there were more time spent on build up, so that there is actual pay off in the end. As it is, it just feels like things happened. And that's that. Usually the story falls into telling-not showing.

It also feels more like the author tried to hold a lesson on the real life history that inspired this, and less like a work of fiction.

I don't think there is a single character I actually care about. None of them get the time they need to grow on you. They're just there.

there wasn't a single character death that feels in any way meaningful

It's a decent book for such a young author, but there should have been spent more time fleshing it out.