ervin4life86's reviews
16 reviews

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

mysterious slow-paced

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

0.0

I couldn't wait for this story to be over. This story was not engaging. Did not care about any of the characters. This was not scary at all. The narration was terrible. Waste of time. Periodt! 

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

dark mysterious tense 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

1.0

I had high hopes, but this was not groundbreaking. I didn't feel or care about what happened to the characters. The plot was not engaging like I would have hoped. The twist was lackluster. This was a one and done for me. Overall, I was not impressed, which is unfortunate. I was hoping that it would be really good, but the story was meh. I couldn't wait for it to end. This book will be forgotten. 

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved that this story didn't end like I expected it to end. I loved that the protagonist is from Indianapolis, IN, which was born and raised. Loved that he moved to NYC to find his own way of life to be himself and discover who he was. Looooved the plot, the characters, themes and time period. There were MANY hot, steamy scenes throughout this novel. The historical aspect of it was a very nice touch, too. This point of view of a well-spoken, educated, young Black, Gay Man during the AIDS epidemic/crisis was very refreshing. Trauma did not define him. Thank you!!! Jelani Alladin was an EXCELLENT narrator for this novel. Perfect choice! His storytelling was engaging, sexy , and fun to listen to. His character choices were believable. Spot ON!!! I hope to hear more of him as a narrator in future audiobooks to come. 😍👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content and Violence

The Trench by Steve Alten

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

This was a shark terror-filled roller-coaster ride from beginning to end. Loved the narrator. I enjoyed the diverse range of characters. I added book 3, 4, 5 and 6 to my audible library. Looking forward to diving into deeper depths of the Meg series. 

Bad Dolls by Rachel Harrison

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I expected more than I got from this book. 'Goblin' and 'Bad Dolls' were my favorites. The book was okay. 

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

dark funny mysterious reflective tense 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

Loved it! It is a captivating storyline from start to finish. Very chilling. The "real" horror of it all?!! Wow! Didn't see that coming. Great narrators!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾