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fflur's reviews
50 reviews
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I normally don't go for verse novels, but I loved this one. It contained so much heart that I thought it was an autobiographical book for a large part of it. It was such a good read, full of emotions, that I read it in one sitting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book! First mystery I've read in a while, and I was hooked by it. I didn't expect any of the twists and turns this book threw at me, and yet upon them being revealed, everything slotted perfectly into place.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Interesting premise, but I just didn't find myself hooked by the book.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
Best fantasy book I've read in a WHILE - although I took 3 ish days to read it, I'd have happily read it in one sitting, as the time I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it.
With a believable and relatable protagonist, lovable side characters, an intriguing and complex 'antagonist', and a plot revealing new mysteries to be solved - and of course, dragons - this book covered all the bases for the perfect YA fantasy book, and had me hooked.
Of course, it's not a flawless book, but I was never bored, and grew very attached to many of the characters.
With a believable and relatable protagonist, lovable side characters, an intriguing and complex 'antagonist', and a plot revealing new mysteries to be solved - and of course, dragons - this book covered all the bases for the perfect YA fantasy book, and had me hooked.
Of course, it's not a flawless book, but I was never bored, and grew very attached to many of the characters.
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think this book is quite widely misunderstood (and to be fair, easily so). I have seen a lot of different theories online as to what really happened, and it can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but how I interpreted is detailed in the spoiler below. It can be hard to tell exactly what's going on at certain parts of the story, making it confusing and disorienting to the readers, however I just think that's mona awad trying to 'share' the feelings samantha is experiencing as a result of what i believe her condition to be.
I think the book details Samantha's experiences with schizophrenia. Throughout the book, we are given hints as to the fact that she is schizophrenic:
- her mother telling her to 'come back to reality'
- the lion not knowing how to deal with her after she 'spilled her words' aka revealed her mental state & leaving him unsure of how to interact with her
- the sudden appearance of a large amount of bunnies & her talking to them
- the old lady on the bus going through the schizophrenic check list while appearing like samantha's grandmother and having spiders crawl over her (samantha's biggest phobia)
- the kidnapping scene where she's discovered by a janitor
It's about her being alone as a result of this, not able to connect to others and others not knowing how to help her - from the bunnies (the distance they kept from her prior to her joining them) to ursula (the christmas dinner scene), with jonah being the only one who seems to want to extend a hand. However, though it's clear jonah isn't hallucinated (he is described being unlike ava, who's described as having eyes that shift colours), at the end of the book when she is talking to jonah and 'the mud' responds to her, it's unclear whether or not she hallucinated his response.
Ava, from her unexplainable disappearances to her changing appearance to samanatha's obsession with her, is a hallucination - someone who she has made up to find a home in.
Max/byron/hud/icarus, or whatever you want to call him, is also a hallucination, and as samantha starts to get a firmer grip on reality, her hallucinations - ava and max - both leave her, for different reasons.
i think the book details a very interesting take on schizophrenia, showing how confusing and disorienting hallucinations can be, and showing how samantha desperately tries to get a grasp on reality.
- her mother telling her to 'come back to reality'
- the lion not knowing how to deal with her after she 'spilled her words' aka revealed her mental state & leaving him unsure of how to interact with her
- the sudden appearance of a large amount of bunnies & her talking to them
- the old lady on the bus going through the schizophrenic check list while appearing like samantha's grandmother and having spiders crawl over her (samantha's biggest phobia)
- the kidnapping scene where she's discovered by a janitor
It's about her being alone as a result of this, not able to connect to others and others not knowing how to help her - from the bunnies (the distance they kept from her prior to her joining them) to ursula (the christmas dinner scene), with jonah being the only one who seems to want to extend a hand. However, though it's clear jonah isn't hallucinated (he is described being unlike ava, who's described as having eyes that shift colours), at the end of the book when she is talking to jonah and 'the mud' responds to her, it's unclear whether or not she hallucinated his response.
Ava, from her unexplainable disappearances to her changing appearance to samanatha's obsession with her, is a hallucination - someone who she has made up to find a home in.
Max/byron/hud/icarus, or whatever you want to call him, is also a hallucination, and as samantha starts to get a firmer grip on reality, her hallucinations - ava and max - both leave her, for different reasons.
i think the book details a very interesting take on schizophrenia, showing how confusing and disorienting hallucinations can be, and showing how samantha desperately tries to get a grasp on reality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved the use of multi media pieces, it made the read so much more fun! Like all YA mystery novels, it's definitely a tad implausible that two teens solved a 5 year old murder mystery, but that doesn't really matter. The story itself is very good, an easy and fun read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying, Rape, Kidnapping
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beautifully written, with such an interesting writing style. It perfectly captures grief, and I was surprised to learn that not only was the story not based on the author's real experiences, but also that it was his first book. It's a very quick read, and I couldn't put it down once I started. Highly recommend!