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daisiescaroline's reviews
57 reviews
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did! It was a little bit of a slow start but when it got going it really was a brilliant time.
I loved the progression of the story and the escalation and refinery in Grace’s plan as the time went on. The whole book I was waiting on more details and I rarely found myself to be bored or waiting for a murder to be finished.
My main issue comes with how annoying I found Grace and the motivation just seemed meh. I wanted more from it considering how well it seemed to have been thought out.
The ending has been one of my favourites in a good while because even though it was absolutely infuriating, it was such a clever and evil ending.
Overall I’ll definitely be recommending this book to friends because it was a TREAT.
I loved the progression of the story and the escalation and refinery in Grace’s plan as the time went on. The whole book I was waiting on more details and I rarely found myself to be bored or waiting for a murder to be finished.
My main issue comes with how annoying I found Grace and the motivation just seemed meh. I wanted more from it considering how well it seemed to have been thought out.
The ending has been one of my favourites in a good while because even though it was absolutely infuriating, it was such a clever and evil ending.
Overall I’ll definitely be recommending this book to friends because it was a TREAT.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
I really enjoyed this read and felt like it was an obligatory one seeing as I have a Twitter account and have been seeing excerpts for weeks now.
It was a super easy read and it was that way because I grew up watching McCurdy on TV, it was like an awful window behind a show that I used to like to watch.
The book itself was decently written, it felt really bitty at points and there were times when I just lost interest but overall I’m really happy I read it.
It was a super easy read and it was that way because I grew up watching McCurdy on TV, it was like an awful window behind a show that I used to like to watch.
The book itself was decently written, it felt really bitty at points and there were times when I just lost interest but overall I’m really happy I read it.
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
This book was one I read super quickly to get out of a slump and as much as I read it quickly, it didn’t get me out of my slump.
There were parts of it that I really enjoyed and thought were really interesting and it was an easy read at its core but I didn’t really find myself caring or invested until the end.
It’s definitely a book to read if you like the film or want to watch it but I just found it to be a bit self indulgent at points.
There were parts of it that I really enjoyed and thought were really interesting and it was an easy read at its core but I didn’t really find myself caring or invested until the end.
It’s definitely a book to read if you like the film or want to watch it but I just found it to be a bit self indulgent at points.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
There’s something so comical about this book when you describe it as what it is at base level. A teenage boy from a rich family who has just been kicked out of school for failing and the goes around New York for a couple of days.
It’s jarring to constantly watch Holden try to grasp for failing connections with the people around him but it all rings so true of being caught between the worlds of childhood and alleged maturity.
I enjoyed the book but I feel like it would have resonated with me a lot more if I’d read it at age 17.
It’s jarring to constantly watch Holden try to grasp for failing connections with the people around him but it all rings so true of being caught between the worlds of childhood and alleged maturity.
I enjoyed the book but I feel like it would have resonated with me a lot more if I’d read it at age 17.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don’t think I could have read this book in several sittings and it’s really made me think about how you read a book contributes to the your overall reading of the book. Reading this all in one felt like I was in my own sleepy haze of the novel with the world still moving around me.
I’m really enjoying narrators that just aren’t very nice characters at the moment, there’s that unreliability that just makes the book so much more entertaining and intriguing.
I love the era this was written in and the new millennium is such a clever time to have set this and adds a lot.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and it has definitely left an impact.
I’m really enjoying narrators that just aren’t very nice characters at the moment, there’s that unreliability that just makes the book so much more entertaining and intriguing.
I love the era this was written in and the new millennium is such a clever time to have set this and adds a lot.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and it has definitely left an impact.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
If men have Patrick Bateman then women have Irina Burges.
I couldn’t put this book down and it really played to my love of an interesting narrator. The narration was definitely the most interesting feature of the book and I can’t explain how much I loved it, Irina is not a good person and is drawn straight from a 2012 tumblr blog and the best part about it is that she is featured on a tumble blog in the book.
Irina’s career should be the most jarring thing about the book but it’s not, it just seems like a regular plot point compared to her character as a whole. I can’t imagine her doing any kind of ‘normal’ job.
The complete narcissism and cruelty of Irina makes this book such an amazing read, you can’t trust her and it contributes to the perfect character of an unhinged, unreliable female narrator.
I couldn’t put this book down and it really played to my love of an interesting narrator. The narration was definitely the most interesting feature of the book and I can’t explain how much I loved it, Irina is not a good person and is drawn straight from a 2012 tumblr blog and the best part about it is that she is featured on a tumble blog in the book.
Irina’s career should be the most jarring thing about the book but it’s not, it just seems like a regular plot point compared to her character as a whole. I can’t imagine her doing any kind of ‘normal’ job.
The complete narcissism and cruelty of Irina makes this book such an amazing read, you can’t trust her and it contributes to the perfect character of an unhinged, unreliable female narrator.
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
This was a really warm book to read. It was just comforting and didn’t take a lot of effort but was just a nice romance to entertain me for a while. I loved the progression of the story and the time jumps were really well executed and didn’t feel confusing at all.
I think my issue with this came from the fact that I just couldn’t get as invested in the characters as much as I’d like to. They all just felt a little too two dimensional and didn’t really strike me as memorable which was a bit disappointing.
Overall it was an alright book, an easy read and there was a cat (it died though which was annoying).
I think my issue with this came from the fact that I just couldn’t get as invested in the characters as much as I’d like to. They all just felt a little too two dimensional and didn’t really strike me as memorable which was a bit disappointing.
Overall it was an alright book, an easy read and there was a cat (it died though which was annoying).
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I can see why this book is arguably the most popular from Ishiguro because it really was one that I couldn’t put down. I really enjoyed the book and was once again left thinking about it when I finished.
The progression of the story and the bigger questions it asks it’s characters and the reader are handled so well and really does start an internal conversation.
Of the three books I’ve read of Ishiguro’s, this one is definitely the easiest to read but it doesn’t feel any less impactful than the others. The consistent component of them all is how well written the narrators are, they are so captivating and interesting that it’s impossible not to read. Klara makes the perfect narrator and an unforgettable main character.
Overall, I’m so happy I read this and I can’t believe it wasn’t the first Ishiguro I read. The lack of cats didn’t have a large impact on my enjoyment.
The progression of the story and the bigger questions it asks it’s characters and the reader are handled so well and really does start an internal conversation.
Of the three books I’ve read of Ishiguro’s, this one is definitely the easiest to read but it doesn’t feel any less impactful than the others. The consistent component of them all is how well written the narrators are, they are so captivating and interesting that it’s impossible not to read. Klara makes the perfect narrator and an unforgettable main character.
Overall, I’m so happy I read this and I can’t believe it wasn’t the first Ishiguro I read. The lack of cats didn’t have a large impact on my enjoyment.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Admittedly, it took me longer to get into this book than I had originally expected but I’m so happy I powered through.
This was just an amazing book to read on so many different levels and as a reader I found it to be really approachable and not intimidating. I loved the reflective narration and how the different layers of the story all contribute to the overall themes and effect of the book.
The winning feature of the book for me was the narration and it’s something I really enjoyed about Never Let Me Go too. Ishiguro manages to have the most normal but extraordinary narrators and I find myself missing them when I read other books.
Overall, I really enjoyed this even if I did have to persevere a bit at the start. No cats but I don’t see this as an issue really.
This was just an amazing book to read on so many different levels and as a reader I found it to be really approachable and not intimidating. I loved the reflective narration and how the different layers of the story all contribute to the overall themes and effect of the book.
The winning feature of the book for me was the narration and it’s something I really enjoyed about Never Let Me Go too. Ishiguro manages to have the most normal but extraordinary narrators and I find myself missing them when I read other books.
Overall, I really enjoyed this even if I did have to persevere a bit at the start. No cats but I don’t see this as an issue really.
The Unforgetting by Rose Black
dark
mysterious
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
2.0
All I can really say about this book is that I felt it was underwhelming. It seemed like such an intriguing premise when I picked it up but within the first hundred pages I was already bored and left wanting so much more.
I don’t think anything was helped by the characters, Lily was just incredibly lacklustre and had the personality of a ghost even if she wasn’t truly dead.
I had to force myself to finish it and the only saving grace was the length of the chapters, meaning I could have small and frequent breaks. Not even the mention of a cat could save me from this boring disappointment of a book.
I don’t think anything was helped by the characters, Lily was just incredibly lacklustre and had the personality of a ghost even if she wasn’t truly dead.
I had to force myself to finish it and the only saving grace was the length of the chapters, meaning I could have small and frequent breaks. Not even the mention of a cat could save me from this boring disappointment of a book.