ellpeck's reviews
91 reviews

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

adventurous challenging emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Does My Body Offend You? by Mayra Cuevas, Marie Marquardt

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

Ali Hazelwood is a romance author who seems to primarily write stories related to academia in some form. Being a student, this should be deeply relatable to me, but being an antisocial mess, I rarely ever actually interact with people at university. Nevertheless, I read two of Ali’s books this year: The Love Hypothesis in the first half, and Love on the Brain, her most recent release. 

While I think they are both amazing, I’m passionate about Love on the Brain because it contains two adorable romances, a cast of hilarious characters, and a cute cat that may or may not be real. If you love a good wacky romance, a punky queer feminist, and a chaotic story, you’ll love… on the Brain. 

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

The topic that this book covers interests me deeply, but from the first few pages alone, it made me uncomfortable to see so many phrasings that seemed to exclude any trans and nonbinary people. Sex and body were being lumped together despite the author's differentiation in the introduction, and sections were awkwardly phrased in a way that implied there are only two sexes or only two genders, which is incorrect. I did some brief research online and found out that this is not an isolated incident and continues both throughout the book and in the author's other works. I'm very disappointed.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

 I don’t want to say that much more about the book’s content here because I don’t want to glamorize or romanticize McCurdy’s experiences, but I do want to invite you to read the book for yourself. It really gives you another insight into how much of people’s trauma isn’t visible to the outside world, and how seemingly impossible it is to get out of an abusive situation when that situation your entire life. It also gives you a deep appreciation for honesty, openness, and mental health support through intimate friendships and therapy. It’s also incredibly well written, making you feel like you’re reading a diary that isn’t meant to be read by anyone but the one who wrote it. The book’s second section is also deeply hopeful, showing

McCurdy’s escape and subsequent healing from her traumatizing past

. 

If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich, Sophie Gonzales

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense 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

Here's to Us by Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.75