fictionalhannah's reviews
169 reviews

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.

This book was so intolerably slow and so heavy on the backstory building that I got nearly 200 pages in and there was still hardly any plot at all. Also the film references and terminology are very heavy-handed, which negatively impacted my engagement based on my general disinterest in the film industry.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Gyo by Junji Ito

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This was definitely the most “wtf did I just read” of any of Ito’s work thus far. Just a bit too out there for me (and that’s saying something). But I will agree that the bonus story The Enigma of Amigara Fault is 5/5 stars.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

From the start the characters and plot failed to engage me. 

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.

The story was just so slow moving and the “interview” format got old real quick.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

dark emotional sad 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? No

4.5

Extremely intense and captivating read that examines the horrors of slavery through an intriguing sci-fi lens. 4.5/5 only because I was mildly dissatisfied with the ending.

Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I struggled with how to rate this book, because I felt so in the dark for so much of it. But overall, I thought it was captivating, unsettling, and eerie. When things began to click into place towards the end, I was satisfied with the mysterious, fantastical nature of the plot wrapped in *seemingly* mundane, one-dimensional characters.

Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Didn’t impact me as much as the manga “novels” I’ve read, but overall a good creepy collection. 

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

Although not as perfect as the first, it was a lovely follow-up to the pair’s travels.