devan's reviews
141 reviews

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

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

3.5

This book gets so much praise but it didn’t do it for me. It skipped around too much and had a good dead of pointless storytelling. How a feminist writer can write women with such an obsession of weight gain made me cringe multiple times. Her depiction of women felt like it was written by a man. I wanted more of the history aspect. Part 3, while it jumped around was the best written part.
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

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

4.5

Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations by Rohini Anand

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informative fast-paced

3.75

For me personally we are doing DEI work in my school and this book was just too corporate. I know that is what it is written for so I am taking that into account. It had good stories and anecdotes and was a quick read.
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

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dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Loved the different stories. I really got into a few of them and were sad when they ended.
Beloved by Toni Morrison

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challenging inspiring mysterious slow-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

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I wanted to like this book but I just did not. The twists were seen by me a mile away. The book also felt slow for the first 200 pages. I could have been 100 pages shorter. I didn’t love any of the characters but I certainly hated a few of them. This author has so much hype and it left me wanting more.
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Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

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challenging hopeful mysterious sad fast-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? No

5.0

I LOVED this book. I loved how Angeline Boulley was able to weave history and story together. I loved how she kept me on the edge of my seat and the surprises were surprises! So well written! I am sad I can’t read this again without knowing what will happen!
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Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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dark emotional hopeful fast-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

4.5

Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion by Gabrielle Stanley Blair

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informative fast-paced

5.0

This book is a must read for every single person. We are well overdue for new ways to consider the argument of abortion. If you are pro choice or pro life, if you identify as male,  female or neither this is an important read for you.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book weaves together many characters into a flawless story about generations of girls, women and people that have been “othered “. I enjoyed reading this so much! I would gladly reread this book!