estellegodard's reviews
273 reviews

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

it’s cheesy a lot of the time & very predictable. despite this, it’s an enjoyable book and really pleasant to read; the portions in marcellus’ point of view are so endearing & tova and ethan jump off the page. I found cameron to be a big man-child (though I’m sure that was the point) and it made it hard to sympathize with him. 

Girlhood by Melissa Febos

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

plenty of really impactful observations about being a woman and I especially resonated with the passages about adolescence. the essays were at times a bit long, and I didn’t find the final essay to be as impactful as some of the middle ones. nonetheless, the author is very eloquent and I enjoyed this collection. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

beautifully written novel with some really wonderful philosophical observations on life, death, happiness, etc. I also enjoyed the various storylines and narrators that coexist. however, in my opinion the plot dragged at times & I never felt compelled to keep reading after finishing a chapter. the ending also didn’t have the strongest effect on me, especially as we got into the more fantastical elements. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

adventurous dark informative slow-paced

3.0

once again, a very well researched and informative book by david grann. the author does a good job of including anecdotes and dialogues that bring the story to life, rather than being a simple historical book. that being said, it’s still very dense. the first third of the book deals entirely with the crew before the wreck and it is pretty tedious and confusing. there’s a lot of technicalities and names to keep track of and it’s not that interesting. getting to the ship wreck and especially the escape attempts felt like an adventure story & was much more enjoyable. I also particularly liked the bits of chapters that focused on the patagonian and indigenous tribes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

a severely mediocre book. I was so disappointed! I really loved the idea of this but ultimately it was the characters that didn’t do it for me. I found ari to be incredibly grating and childish. I couldn’t relate to her perception of love/relationships so I was constantly annoyed with her choices. I will give it some credit for good sex scenes and fun banter. 

A Spell for Disappearing by Abby Geni

dark fast-paced

4.0

a really really enjoyable short story. i was glad to receive this in my BOTM box and 

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

another great book by coco mellors! her ability to write believable characters is uncanny; each one of the sisters comes to life in a way that truly connects us to their story. they are incredibly flawed and not always likable, but it’s incredibly human and I enjoyed every moment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

The Women by Kristin Hannah

challenging emotional inspiring fast-paced

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

3.5

this book simply did not hit the same way as the other kristin hannah books I’ve read. there were a lot of passages that felt repetitive and I never felt a strong connection to the main character. 
I appreciated the subject matter as a whole; it’s inspiring and it isn’t a topic I’ve read a lot about. however, the nuance of that time period feels a little simplistic in the book. 
I will say the plot twist with rye was genuinely surprising & I binged the last quarter of this book to find out how it would finish between them. 
ultimately, I enjoyed this book but it’s a far cry from what the author has published in the past. the emotions aren’t as visceral and the story wasn’t as vivid & well developed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, and War

Mon mari by Maud Ventura

fast-paced

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

5.0

really really enjoyable and unique book. the author does a terrific job of immersing us fully into the heroine’s psyche. I think this book does a great job of grasping the mental gymnastics that can occur in a woman’s mind. one of its greatest assets is the ability to make the main characters toxic/crazy behavior seem rational and justified. of course, it’s heavily dramatized, but there are plenty of moments that ring true and plenty of moments that aren’t that far fetched, especially for someone who understands overthinking. this book had me hooked right from the start and I really appreciated the ending too - it really added an extra layer. 

Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No

3.0

beautifully written and includes exquisite descriptions of food. the writing style (like the author’s other book) is dense and flowery. for the culinary passages this style works in favor of the material, really evoking the sensations wholly. I didn’t think the side characters added much to the plot & definitely enjoyed the reflective moments of the protagonist the most.