dimeryrene's reviews
94 reviews

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

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adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.0

I really liked the first book of this series better. There was so much going on here, that I lost the plot sometimes. It bothered me that these teens are never in school. I just can't believe that no one would come looking for them or get them in trouble. Parents are absent, teachers are absent, it just didn't seem realistic. It may as well have been the summer time and that wouldn't have stood out to me so much. 
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

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reflective sad slow-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

3.75

This book follows a letter that the main girl is giving to a boy who broke her heart. Each letter tells a different story of their time together. Each letter is also accompanied by an item that she is giving back to this boy. At first I really loved this story of a heart-broken girl. I was reminded of my high school heart break and thought that this was a story which really understood kids. I still think that, but by the end the chapters were a bit more tedious. I started to not believe the love story anymore. The kids truly didn't date for very long and I found myself thinking the characters weren't really like high school kids at all. More quirky novel kids that aren't realistic, but somehow are always in teen novels. 
Sick: A Memoir by Porochista Khakpour

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challenging sad slow-paced
Difficult to give someone's actual life story a review, so I've left that off. This book was difficult and slow and I can't imagine living with Lyme Disease. I didn't know it was so often ignored, overlooked, or misdiagnosed. This book really opened my eyes to more ways in which the health care system fails women. It was a difficult read, but I will recommend it widely. 


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Shiny Misfits: A Graphic Novel by Maysoon Zayid

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lighthearted slow-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

3.0

Cute graphic novel about a girl who wants to dance her way to internet stardom. Our main character has cerebral palsy and dances as a way to help control her muscles and make sure she's strong. She wants to become famous for dancing, but other kids at school become famous for "helping" her and "being inspirational". She and her friends and family must figure out how to help the world see past the CP and focus on the dancer! Cute, at times I felt like panels were missing though. The story seemed jumpy and disjointed. 
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns

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

4.5

In this book we follow a woman as she grieves the death of her sister. She begins to dream and somehow items from the dream appear back in the real world. The best part of this story was the family aspect. Our main character has another sister, a cousin, a best friend, and two aunts, and a mom that surround her with love and affection and healing. As they all grieve together and try to figure out what's happening in dreams, they heal. It is a really enjoyable story. 
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

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dark emotional tense 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? No

4.0

This is a book about a child serving a 6-month sentence at the Dozier School for Boys. As such, it's pretty graphic in it's depiction of violence against minors and doesn't sugar coat the depravity of the people in charge. The boy's sister is working to get him out of the "school" so you follow her and him in alternating chapters. The boys in the school deal not only with the adults tormenting them, but also ghosts of murdered boys from the past. This is a historical fiction as much as a ghost story. Great read, but tough. 
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What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

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

3.75

This is such a sort read, and I think, a good retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher. It's got some light plant horror, but nothing too graphic. There's a few animal deaths as well, but again not graphic. I think the narrator is fun and charming. The story is super short and simple. Enjoyable. 
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Funny Story by Emily Henry

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emotional funny hopeful medium-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? Yes

4.0

This was a great mix of lighthearted banter/flirting and serious relationship issues/communication. I loved the small town feel of everyone knowing everyone and the layered relationships the main characters had with friends and family. There was more than just romance here, and that made it a great read! 
Cujo by Stephen King

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

4.0

This is a sloooooow burn. Cujo is hardly on the page, probably less than 10% of the book is devoted to horror, blood, and gore. It's much more about the relationships between two mothers and their sons, two wives and their husbands, a few coworkers, and a few friends. It's very character-based and is entered on a few people just living their lives. A freak accident does happen with Cujo contracting rabies, and there is perhaps something more (spooky) going on with him, but he doesn't seem to be the point of the book despite the title. 
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The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias

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

3.75