danielrios's reviews
19 reviews

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

4.25

I fell in love with the characters and the way they experience life. The twists and turns in the book make it so great but still so comforting. Much like McQuiston’s other novels, this feels so comforting. This is a love story but also a story on growing up religious, a story on class, and a story on sexuality and gender. The people in this book are so lively and I found myself rooting for them so often. It is just a cute book that is bound to make you smile, laugh, but also shed a tear once or twice.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

This book, just like One Last Stop by the same author, transported me into such a sweet and hopeful romance. The plot is intriguing yet still comforting because it’s almost perfectly predictable. I know some people may not like it because it is very idealistic but I think that is what makes it good. It feels like a warm hug which I appreciate from books (especially queer romances). The only thing is that, because it is a queer romance, it can sometimes feel a bit cringey. This is the case also with One Last Stop because the facts and logistics of the story are sometimes not the best. Especially in this one the political side was a bit cringey. Other than that the cringe was perfect to show a shining romance.

I think it’s weaknesses (that is being very idealistic) makes it so good to read. McQuiston clearly does this on purpose since this is apparent from their other books (yes, I’ve only read OLS, leave me alone). I think they do this very well. That is capturing an “impossible” romance. I actually quite enjoyed how much humanity they gave to the political figures portrayed. Princes and princesses are not brothers and mothers. Even though I hate the monarchy and everything they stand for, I appreciated to see just a bit of sunshine come from there.

Anyways, read this book but don’t expect to be wowed by the portrayal of political figures ❤️

Content Warnings

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Omg… I was brought to actual tears with this book and I am not ok. Miller is able to use Greek mythology not just in a stunning and creative way, but she makes it so accessible and readable. It was so fun to read because the plot was never stale. Something was always happening or about to happen. The characters are all amazingly written. The romance is well done.

the way she captured the relationship after each other’s death was so good!! I hate it when the story ends with one of the love interests dying but I know it was necessary here. However, she still captures it in a way that didn’t leave me angry at it. I don’t know it was just amazing

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

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emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is poetry page to page. Every word is deliberately chosen to make you feel something special. You could open to page and be able to quote something that you can apply to your life. The son and mother relationship in this book is truly beautiful and inspiring. It’s comforting but it also challenges your emotions. Truly a work of art.

Content Warnings

Normal People by Sally Rooney

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reflective sad 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

2.25

I literally DONT know how to feel. Felt like a waste of time reading because NOTHING and I mean NOTHING happened. I think this is a great book if you love characters and characters only. There’s is absolutely no plot to this book but if you like that you might enjoy this book.

But anyways I hope Marianne goes to therapy because that girl is not ok!! She never was ok throughout which made it feel kinda bland.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.0

I felt like the story in general was beautiful. However, I personally didn’t quite enjoy it as much. The reason I’m rating it 3 stars is because I understand it’s audience and I feel like for them it would be a perfect read. The story mentions really hard topics and things that teens have to deal with. The book doesn’t quite dive too deep into them which makes it perfect for a younger audience. The main character's relationship with her parents is so relatable for a lot of people which makes it a very connecting story. I did however feel like there wasn’t much going on until the very end of the book and the plot wasn’t very satisfying.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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4.5

Content Warnings