estellegodard's reviews
241 reviews

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

3.5

I thought the parts where we followed Kirstin were dull and redundant. I never ended up actually caring for or about her, this can be said for basically all the characters. when we are in the pre-apocalyptic world I enjoyed the book much more than in the post-apocalyptic world; it just wasn’t super engaging. yet, there were in fact chapters that I found really great and that kept me coming back for more. I am glad to have finally read this ultimately. 

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

fast-paced

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

4.75

I flew through this and didn’t expect to. a book that absolutely lived up to the hype and I never would have picked up if it wasn’t already sitting on my shelves. loss of points because a couple of the characters were absolutely so so unbearable annoying that I wanted to skip their section all together 

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

slow-paced

3.5

there were moments where I wanted to give it 5 stars and others where I wanted to give it 2. I think my main problem was the inconsistency within the chapters. nonetheless, it’s a wonderful book with great passages, some that almost brought me to tears! it could have been a bit shorter but overall it was such an interesting take and perspective.  

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

each time I pick up an installment of this series I have a great time. this was no exception and it was a great continuation from the last book. so satisfying to watch all the villains get their moment of reckoning and even though there’s (as always) so many plot lines and characters, it all comes together in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans

5.0

what a stunning collection ! poetry rarely moves me unfortunately but this was just so gorgeous and it hurt my heart  

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

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? Yes

2.0

I am disappointed because I’ve liked ottessa’s previous books and I had hope for this book. I enjoyed the first section but I realized after a bit that each section was super repetitive and nothing new was really being added to the narrative. ottessa’s writing does not shine here and the messages she’s trying to infuse into the novel are sloppy. eventually this all becomes extremely tired and everything grotesque has little value because we literally don’t care about the characters. 

Dear Dolly: On Love, Life and Friendship, Collected wisdom from her Sunday Times Style Column by Dolly Alderton

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

3.5

not nearly as good as her previous memoir but this book is an uplifting read and adresses a wide range of problems without getting redundant. the column format makes for snappy chapters which allowed me to fly through this 

White Tears / Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad

slow-paced

2.75

I’m disappointed because I thought I was going to really enjoy this. while I did learn things I thought it was convoluted and extremely repetitive. 

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

dark fast-paced

5.0

what a ride! this was an exquisitely written book & such a thrilling story. I have not a complaint about it and had a great time reading it. it didn’t shy away from the gory and explicit subjects and the prose made it that much more captivating. dorothy’s decent into madness was a treat to read and crippling to have to sit back and watch it happen to her 

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire

3.0

there were some really beautiful poems in this collection (the last one really struck me!) & the author has a gift for titles. however majority of the poems didn’t work for me, perhaps this is due to the cultural disconnect.