egaffron's reviews
10 reviews

Becky's New Car by Steven Dietz, Steven Dietz

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

flower crowns & fearsome things by Amanda Lovelace

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

Some pages are sad; some are inspiring; some are trite but true; and some are transcendent, stopping this reader in her tracks and making her reread and few times bed staring into space to think on.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Minor: Domestic abuse

Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music by Rob Sheffield

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

hopeful mysterious relaxing 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

3.0

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

emotional hopeful relaxing medium-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? No

3.0

This book is much more about the relationship between Hadley and her father than the guy Hadley has a romance with. By the end, of course I was happy for Hadley. Of course I wanted her to reunite with her father and forgive him for her sake. As a grown reader however, I could not forgive that man. The guy left his wife and daughter. When his teenage daughter was understandably angry, his attempts to bond with her were too few. For a book supposedly about love, it really emphasizes soulmate-style love over buildng and maintaining relationships. I could not forgive that stepmother either. However, I definitely cared about the main character, Hadley, and I wanted to protect  that fictional girl and for her to be happy.

Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams

adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

The Guest by Emma Cline

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.25

This novel is more literary fiction than  thriller. It reminded me of a long-form short story. It also reminded me of the tension and class-consciousness of White Lotus. The main character is a deeply flawed young woman whose insights into other people are often spot-on. She is a predator, looking for ways to manipulate the people around her at all times, but she is also vulnerable and fragile. This might be what it's like inside the mind of a psychopath. This is a book I will chew on for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Classism